Childhood psychosocial adjustment and midlife obesity, diabetes and hypertension: prospective study from two birth cohorts

Background

Understanding how childhood psychosocial adjustment (CPA) influences later life health outcomes is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate the long-term risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs).

Aims

To investigate the association between CPA and incident CMDs in mid-life, and the mediating roles of educational attainment, smoking habits and depression during young adulthood.

Method

A prospective cohort study utilised data from the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS; 1958–2013) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70; 1970–2018), encompassing 22 012 participants assessed for CPA in childhood, who were subsequently evaluated for educational attainment, smoking habits and depression in young adulthood, followed by assessments for CMDs in mid-life. CPA was assessed using the Bristol Social Adjustment Guides in the NCDS and the Rutter Child Behaviour Scale in the BCS70, with higher scores indicating poorer psychosocial adjustment. The primary outcomes were the mid-life incidences of hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

Results

Compared with children in the lowest tertile for CPA scores, those in the middle tertile had an adjusted odds ratio for hypertension of 0.98 (95% CI 0.90–1.06), whereas those in the highest tertile had an odds ratio of 1.17 (95% CI 1.08–1.26). For diabetes, the corresponding odds ratios (95% CI) were 1.15 (0.98–1.35) and 1.39 (1.19–1.62). For obesity, the corresponding odds ratios (95% CI) were 1.08 (1.00–1.16) and 1.18 (1.09–1.27). These associations were partially mediated by educational attainment (2.4–13.9%) and depression during young adulthood (2.5–14.9%).

Conclusions

Poorer CPA is correlated with the development of hypertension, diabetes and obesity in mid-life. Interventions aimed at improving CPA may help in reducing the burden of these diseases in later life.