Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings
Abstract Background In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements. To increase their life prospects and reduce the long-term effects of early aversive conditions, it is there...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13261-2 |
| _version_ | 1818012342727737344 |
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| author | Federica Amici Stefan Röder Wieland Kiess Michael Borte Ana C. Zenclussen Anja Widdig Gunda Herberth |
| author_facet | Federica Amici Stefan Röder Wieland Kiess Michael Borte Ana C. Zenclussen Anja Widdig Gunda Herberth |
| author_sort | Federica Amici |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements. To increase their life prospects and reduce the long-term effects of early aversive conditions, it is therefore crucial to understand the risk factors that negatively affect child development and the factors that are instead beneficial. In this study, we tested (i) the effects of different social and environmental stressors on maternal stress levels, (ii) the dynamic relationship between maternal stress and child behavior problems during development, and (iii) the potential promotive (i.e. main) or protective (i.e. buffering) effect of siblings on child behavior problems during development. Methods We used longitudinal data from 373 mother–child pairs (188 daughters, 185 sons) from pregnancy until 10 years of age. We assessed maternal stress and child behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing) with validated questionnaires, and then used linear mixed models, generalized linear mixed models and longitudinal cross-lagged models to analyze the data. Results Our results showed that higher maternal stress levels were predicted by socio-environmental stressors (i.e. the lack of sufficient social areas in the neighborhood). Moreover, prenatal maternal stress reliably predicted the occurrence of behavior problems during childhood. Finally, the presence of older siblings had a promotive function, by reducing the likelihood that children developed externalizing problems. Conclusions Overall, our results confirm the negative effects that maternal stress during pregnancy may have on the offspring, and suggest an important main effect of older siblings in promoting a positive child development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:20:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a45e01f58ea544ceb151c2a4d68e777f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:20:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a45e01f58ea544ceb151c2a4d68e777f2022-12-22T02:08:05ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-04-0122111610.1186/s12889-022-13261-2Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblingsFederica Amici0Stefan Röder1Wieland Kiess2Michael Borte3Ana C. Zenclussen4Anja Widdig5Gunda Herberth6Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZDepartment of Women and Child Health, Center of Paediatric Research (CPL), Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Leipzig UniversityChildren’s Hospital, Municipal Hospital “St. Georg”, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of LeipzigDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZBehavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of LeipzigDepartment of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZAbstract Background In the first years of their lives, children develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will provide the foundations for their lifelong health and achievements. To increase their life prospects and reduce the long-term effects of early aversive conditions, it is therefore crucial to understand the risk factors that negatively affect child development and the factors that are instead beneficial. In this study, we tested (i) the effects of different social and environmental stressors on maternal stress levels, (ii) the dynamic relationship between maternal stress and child behavior problems during development, and (iii) the potential promotive (i.e. main) or protective (i.e. buffering) effect of siblings on child behavior problems during development. Methods We used longitudinal data from 373 mother–child pairs (188 daughters, 185 sons) from pregnancy until 10 years of age. We assessed maternal stress and child behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing) with validated questionnaires, and then used linear mixed models, generalized linear mixed models and longitudinal cross-lagged models to analyze the data. Results Our results showed that higher maternal stress levels were predicted by socio-environmental stressors (i.e. the lack of sufficient social areas in the neighborhood). Moreover, prenatal maternal stress reliably predicted the occurrence of behavior problems during childhood. Finally, the presence of older siblings had a promotive function, by reducing the likelihood that children developed externalizing problems. Conclusions Overall, our results confirm the negative effects that maternal stress during pregnancy may have on the offspring, and suggest an important main effect of older siblings in promoting a positive child development.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13261-2SiblingsRisk factorsPromotive factorsProtective factorsMaternal stressChild development |
| spellingShingle | Federica Amici Stefan Röder Wieland Kiess Michael Borte Ana C. Zenclussen Anja Widdig Gunda Herberth Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings BMC Public Health Siblings Risk factors Promotive factors Protective factors Maternal stress Child development |
| title | Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| title_full | Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| title_fullStr | Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| title_short | Maternal stress, child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| title_sort | maternal stress child behavior and the promotive role of older siblings |
| topic | Siblings Risk factors Promotive factors Protective factors Maternal stress Child development |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13261-2 |
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