@article {12300, title = {Childhood Stressors, Relationship Quality, and Cognitive Health in Later Life.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: The rising prevalence of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, and related disorders signals the need for a better understanding of how social factors may affect cognitive health for millions of Americans. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we aim to understand the implications of a stressful childhood on social relationships and cognitive health in later life.

METHODS: This study utilizes longitudinal data (2006-2016) from the Health and Retirement Study to examine pathways, both direct and indirect through social relationships in adulthood, from childhood stressors to cognitive health trajectories over time.

RESULTS: Respondents reporting a greater number of stressors in childhood had worse cognitive health over time, but those negative effects were not as steep as time progressed. Early-life stressors are also associated with less social support and more social strain in adulthood which, in turn, are associated with initial cognitive health. Finally, pathway analyses confirm that childhood stressors are indirectly associated with initial cognitive health through social strain and social support.

DISCUSSION: Findings reveal that a stressful childhood creates chains of risks that have lifelong implications for cognitive health, both directly and indirectly by creating obstacles for developing healthy and supportive social relationships.

}, keywords = {cognitive impairment, Early-Life Stressors, Social Relationships}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbac007}, author = {Thomas, Patricia A and Williams-Farrelly, Monica M and Sauerteig, Madison R and Ferraro, Kenneth F} } @article {13405, title = {Early Origins of Frailty: Do Later-Life Social Relationships Alter Trajectories of Decline?}, journal = {J Aging Health}, year = {2023}, pages = {8982643231185426}, abstract = {

Social relationships are widely regarded as salubrious, but do they mediate the influence of childhood experiences on frailty in later life? Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we assess the influence of childhood experiences and adult relationships on frailty trajectories. We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine the influence of six domains of childhood experiences and social relationships on frailty trajectories over 8~years. Mediation analyses were completed with structural equation models. Risky adolescent behavior, chronic disease, and impairments during childhood are associated directly with higher risk of initial frailty, but not over time. More social roles and higher social support mediate the relationship between childhood experiences and frailty, and the effect of more social roles continues over time. This study provides compelling evidence that supportive social relationships mediate the risk and severity of frailty in later life associated with noxious childhood experiences.

}, keywords = {adult relationships, childhood experiences, Social Relationships}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643231185426}, author = {Williams-Farrelly, Monica M and Ferraro, Kenneth F} }