Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries
Abstract Background Evidence suggests that suffering may degrade health and well-being. However, further research is needed to identify potential targets for addressing population-level suffering. Methods This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from 22 countries in Wave 1 of t...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Communications Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00913-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850224353160986624 |
|---|---|
| author | Richard G. Cowden Zhuo Job Chen Renae Wilkinson Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska Thomas Breedlove Craig Gundersen Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_facet | Richard G. Cowden Zhuo Job Chen Renae Wilkinson Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska Thomas Breedlove Craig Gundersen Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_sort | Richard G. Cowden |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Evidence suggests that suffering may degrade health and well-being. However, further research is needed to identify potential targets for addressing population-level suffering. Methods This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from 22 countries in Wave 1 of the Global Flourishing Study (N = 202,898) to explore associations of 13 individual characteristics and retrospectively recalled childhood factors with suffering in adulthood. We conducted a modified Poisson regression by country in which suffering was regressed on all candidate predictors. Random effects meta-analyses were used to aggregate results for the 11 predictors that were common across all countries. Results Our meta-analytic results suggest that a combination of risk and protective factors during childhood may be associated with suffering in adulthood. Individuals whose parents were married (versus divorced) at age 12, had a very good/somewhat good paternal relationship (versus very bad/somewhat bad) when growing up, had excellent health (versus good) when growing up, and who reported their family lived comfortably (versus got by) financially when growing up are less likely to experience suffering in adulthood, whereas those who were abused during childhood (versus not), felt like an outsider in their family when growing up (versus not), attended religious services 1–3 times a month (versus never) around age 12, and are female (versus male) have a higher likelihood of suffering in adulthood. Associations are somewhat heterogeneous across the countries. Conclusions Childhood experiences, influences, and conditions may impact experiences of suffering in adulthood. Targeted early-life interventions could mitigate the burden of suffering later in life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-07a0cee0dc0b4f0db0d0247b56c6a9d3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2730-664X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-07a0cee0dc0b4f0db0d0247b56c6a9d32025-08-20T02:05:39ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Medicine2730-664X2025-06-015111210.1038/s43856-025-00913-8Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countriesRichard G. Cowden0Zhuo Job Chen1Renae Wilkinson2Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska3Thomas Breedlove4Craig Gundersen5Koichiro Shiba6R. Noah Padgett7Byron R. Johnson8Tyler J. VanderWeele9Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversitySchool of Nursing, University of North Carolina at CharlotteHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityInstitute for Studies of Religion, Baylor UniversityDepartment of Economics, Baylor UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public HealthHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard UniversityAbstract Background Evidence suggests that suffering may degrade health and well-being. However, further research is needed to identify potential targets for addressing population-level suffering. Methods This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from 22 countries in Wave 1 of the Global Flourishing Study (N = 202,898) to explore associations of 13 individual characteristics and retrospectively recalled childhood factors with suffering in adulthood. We conducted a modified Poisson regression by country in which suffering was regressed on all candidate predictors. Random effects meta-analyses were used to aggregate results for the 11 predictors that were common across all countries. Results Our meta-analytic results suggest that a combination of risk and protective factors during childhood may be associated with suffering in adulthood. Individuals whose parents were married (versus divorced) at age 12, had a very good/somewhat good paternal relationship (versus very bad/somewhat bad) when growing up, had excellent health (versus good) when growing up, and who reported their family lived comfortably (versus got by) financially when growing up are less likely to experience suffering in adulthood, whereas those who were abused during childhood (versus not), felt like an outsider in their family when growing up (versus not), attended religious services 1–3 times a month (versus never) around age 12, and are female (versus male) have a higher likelihood of suffering in adulthood. Associations are somewhat heterogeneous across the countries. Conclusions Childhood experiences, influences, and conditions may impact experiences of suffering in adulthood. Targeted early-life interventions could mitigate the burden of suffering later in life.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00913-8 |
| spellingShingle | Richard G. Cowden Zhuo Job Chen Renae Wilkinson Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska Thomas Breedlove Craig Gundersen Koichiro Shiba R. Noah Padgett Byron R. Johnson Tyler J. VanderWeele Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries Communications Medicine |
| title | Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| title_full | Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| title_fullStr | Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| title_short | Childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| title_sort | childhood predictors of suffering in adulthood across 22 countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00913-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardgcowden childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT zhuojobchen childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT renaewilkinson childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT dorotaweziakbialowolska childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT thomasbreedlove childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT craiggundersen childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT koichiroshiba childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT rnoahpadgett childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT byronrjohnson childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries AT tylerjvanderweele childhoodpredictorsofsufferinginadulthoodacross22countries |