The long-lasting effect of early life family structure on social position, well-being, and biological condition in adulthood

Abstract

Background The absence of even one parent has short- and long-term effects on the child’s current and future health. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a long-term relationship between the type of family in which men were raised and an individual’s adult social position, well-being in adulthood and their biological condition regardless of social status in adulthood. Materials and methods Data for 4528 males, aged 25–80 years, were selected from the archives of the Lower Silesian Medical Centre in Wrocław, Poland. A total of 329 men declared that they grew up in incomplete families. Height, weight, % fat, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood parameters, and health of men who grew up in complete or incomplete families were compared. Results Growing up in an incomplete family reduced chances for better education, decreased life satisfaction in adulthood, and negatively affected the final height. After taking into account the education achieved, the effect persisted only for diastolic blood pressure, creatinine, and serum phosphorus levels. Conclusions Growing up in an incomplete family has a significant impact on male’s socioeconomic position (SES), life satisfaction, and final height. A poorer quality of diet is proposed as an early life risk factor for adult health.