Childhood experiences of parenting and cancer risk at older ages: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Panayotes Demakakos,Georgios P Chrousos,Jane P Biddulph

doi:10.1007/s00038-018-1117-3

Abstract

ObjectivesDespite the importance of childhood experiences for adult health and psychosocial factors for cancer development, parenting, a key childhood psychosocial exposure, has yet to be studied in relation to cancer risk at older ages. We examined whether childhood experiences of poor-quality parenting are associated with an increased risk of cancer at older ages.MethodsWe used a sample of 4471 community dwellers aged ≥ 55 years in 2007. Poor-quality parenting was defined as low levels of parental care and high levels of parental overprotection.ResultsOverall poorer experiences of parenting, decreasing parental care and increasing parental overprotection were associated with increased risk of incident all-site and skin cancer in men, but not in women. Increasing paternal overprotection was also associated with increased risk of incident colorectal cancer in men. Overall poorer experiences of parenting and increasing paternal overprotection were associated with increased risk of prevalent all-site and colorectal cancer in women. Adjustment for covariates explained a small part of these associations.ConclusionsOlder adults who reported childhood experiences of poorer quality parenting appear to have an increased risk of cancer. These findings improve our understanding of the role of psychosocial factors in cancer over the life course.

Highlights

A substantial body of literature highlights the importance of early life and childhood experiences for later life health
Overall poorer experiences of parenting and increasing paternal overprotection were associated with increased risk of prevalent all-site and colorectal cancer in women
Older adults who reported childhood experiences of poorer quality parenting appear to have an increased risk of cancer. These findings improve our understanding of the role of psychosocial factors in cancer over the life course

Summary

Introduction

A substantial body of literature highlights the importance of early life and childhood experiences for later life health. This article is part of the special issue ‘‘Life course influences and cancer risk’’. (Chida et al 2008), yet research on the association between childhood psychosocial experiences and cancer development and progression in adulthood remains limited. The literature has mostly focused on financial hardship and parental socio-economic position (SEP) and cancer mortality (Galobardes et al 2008), with some additional research on the association between adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect, and cancer development in adulthood (Brown et al 2010, 2013; Norman et al 2012; Kelly-Irving et al 2013a; Hyland et al 2013). No study has examined the association between childhood experiences of poor-quality parenting and cancer development at older ages, where most cancer cases occur

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