Association between early parental deprivation and cellular immune function among adults in rural Fujian, China.

Abstract

This study investigated the role of childhood parental deprivation in the association between quality of life (QOL) and the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody titer, a marker of cellular immune functioning, using data from 734 adults living in seven communities in rural Fujian, China. Parental deprivation was defined if either of their parents had died, divorced, or left them for migratory work for more than 1year before they turned (a) 16years of age (childhood and adolescence), or (b) 3years of age (early childhood). A mixed-effects regression analysis with a random effects model revealed that parental deprivation during early childhood was positively associated with the EBV antibody titer (coefficient=0.33, p=0.007), whereas parental deprivation during the first 16years was not. Further analysis incorporating an interaction term between QOL and parental deprivation revealed a significant interaction between QOL and parental deprivation during early childhood; a significant association between QOL and the EBV antibody titer was found only among those who reported parental deprivation during early childhood. This study suggests that parental deprivation during the period of immune system development may be linked with physiological responses to stressors later in life.