Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis
Abstract Background Preventing health problems that limit access to age-appropriate opportunities and relationships (health limitations) is critical to promoting human flourishing. Understanding childhood correlates of health limitations provides a vantage point for prevention efforts. Thus, the pur...
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Global and Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00188-0 |
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| author | Jason Paltzer Elizabeth Kwon Chukwuemeka N. Okafor R. Noah Padgett Erik W. Carter Jessica Benfer Tyler J. VanderWeele Byron R. Johnson |
| author_facet | Jason Paltzer Elizabeth Kwon Chukwuemeka N. Okafor R. Noah Padgett Erik W. Carter Jessica Benfer Tyler J. VanderWeele Byron R. Johnson |
| author_sort | Jason Paltzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Preventing health problems that limit access to age-appropriate opportunities and relationships (health limitations) is critical to promoting human flourishing. Understanding childhood correlates of health limitations provides a vantage point for prevention efforts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the childhood predictors of health limitations across diverse countries. An individual’s self-reported health limitations in adulthood are likely to vary by country, reflecting the influence of diverse sociocultural, economic, religious, and health contexts that characterize each nation. Methods We used data from the Global Flourishing Study, an ongoing 5-year longitudinal study of human flourishing among 202,898 individuals across 22 countries within nationally representative sampling. A Poisson regression model was fit within each country by regressing health problems in adulthood on a set of childhood predictors. We conducted random effects meta-analyses of the regression coefficients to estimate proportions of effects across countries. Our exploratory analysis highlights key early-life experiences, personal attributes, and familial or social circumstances that are associated with self-reported health limitations in adulthood. Results Early predictors of self-reported health limitations in adulthood vary by country, reflecting the influence of diverse sociocultural, economic, religious, and health contexts that characterize each nation. Across all countries, childhood abuse, growing up feeling like an outsider in one’s family, and self-rated health growing up were associated with a greater risk of having a health limitation as an adult. Conclusions We found common factors among countries and some variations in childhood predictors across the 22 countries. This cross-national study illuminates the role of broader societal factors in shaping the relationship between childhood experiences and health limitations as adults. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3cccee8e515f49c48e8f112d1593f916 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2731-913X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Global and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-3cccee8e515f49c48e8f112d1593f9162025-08-20T03:06:36ZengBMCBMC Global and Public Health2731-913X2025-08-013111210.1186/s44263-025-00188-0Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysisJason Paltzer0Elizabeth Kwon1Chukwuemeka N. Okafor2R. Noah Padgett3Erik W. Carter4Jessica Benfer5Tyler J. VanderWeele6Byron R. Johnson7The Meros Center, Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeDepartment of Public Health, Baylor UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San AntonioDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthBaylor Center for Developmental Disabilities, Baylor UniversityThe Meros Center, Wisconsin Lutheran CollegeDepartments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthInstitute for Studies of Religion, Baylor UniversityAbstract Background Preventing health problems that limit access to age-appropriate opportunities and relationships (health limitations) is critical to promoting human flourishing. Understanding childhood correlates of health limitations provides a vantage point for prevention efforts. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the childhood predictors of health limitations across diverse countries. An individual’s self-reported health limitations in adulthood are likely to vary by country, reflecting the influence of diverse sociocultural, economic, religious, and health contexts that characterize each nation. Methods We used data from the Global Flourishing Study, an ongoing 5-year longitudinal study of human flourishing among 202,898 individuals across 22 countries within nationally representative sampling. A Poisson regression model was fit within each country by regressing health problems in adulthood on a set of childhood predictors. We conducted random effects meta-analyses of the regression coefficients to estimate proportions of effects across countries. Our exploratory analysis highlights key early-life experiences, personal attributes, and familial or social circumstances that are associated with self-reported health limitations in adulthood. Results Early predictors of self-reported health limitations in adulthood vary by country, reflecting the influence of diverse sociocultural, economic, religious, and health contexts that characterize each nation. Across all countries, childhood abuse, growing up feeling like an outsider in one’s family, and self-rated health growing up were associated with a greater risk of having a health limitation as an adult. Conclusions We found common factors among countries and some variations in childhood predictors across the 22 countries. This cross-national study illuminates the role of broader societal factors in shaping the relationship between childhood experiences and health limitations as adults.https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00188-0Health limitationsPhysical healthGlobal Flourishing StudyGlobal healthEpidemiologyPsychological well-being |
| spellingShingle | Jason Paltzer Elizabeth Kwon Chukwuemeka N. Okafor R. Noah Padgett Erik W. Carter Jessica Benfer Tyler J. VanderWeele Byron R. Johnson Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis BMC Global and Public Health Health limitations Physical health Global Flourishing Study Global health Epidemiology Psychological well-being |
| title | Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis |
| title_full | Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis |
| title_fullStr | Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis |
| title_short | Childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries: a cross-national and cross-sectional analysis |
| title_sort | childhood predictors of health limitations in life across 22 countries a cross national and cross sectional analysis |
| topic | Health limitations Physical health Global Flourishing Study Global health Epidemiology Psychological well-being |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44263-025-00188-0 |
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