Longitudinal Associations Between Early Parenting and Adolescent Allostatic Load: Examining the Mediating and Moderating Role of Child Delay of Gratification
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Date
2024-01-09
Authors
Leonard, Heather
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Allostatic load (AL) is a representation of chronic wear and tear on the body due to prolonged exposure to stress. AL measures (e.g., blood pressure, cortisol) capture stress-related dysregulation across multiple physiological systems, which in turn contributes to future disease outcomes. Early contextual influences, such as parenting behaviors, can have a significant impact on the body’s regulatory systems during younger years, with downstream effects on health outcomes later in development, making AL an important outcome to examine in relation to early parenting behaviors. This study utilized longitudinal data (N = 1,364) from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) to examine the relationships between three early childhood parenting behaviors (i.e., supportive presence, respect for autonomy, and hostility) assessed at child age 24 and 36 months and adolescent AL, assessed at age 15. Further, given that early parenting behaviors can influence child self-regulation, and individual differences in self-regulation are linked to AL indicators, this study examined the role of delay of gratification, a behavioral measure of child self-regulation, as a mediator and moderator of the association between early parenting and adolescent AL. Analyses revealed that two early childhood parenting behaviors (i.e., supportive presence and hostility) were directly associated with adolescent AL, and all three parenting behaviors were associated with childhood delay of gratification. However, there was no significant association between childhood delay of gratification and adolescent AL, and childhood delay of gratification was not a significant mediator or moderator of the associations between early parenting behaviors and adolescent AL. Future research should further examine the role of self-regulation using more comprehensive assessments, repeated over time from early childhood to adolescence. Other potential mediators and moderators (e.g., lifestyle factors) should also be examined to understand the mechanisms by which early parenting impacts AL in later years, and identify individuals who may be most at-risk for high AL.
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Keywords
adolescent allostatic load, delay of gratification, early childhood parenting, maternal autonomy support, maternal hostility, maternal supportive presence