The Cumulative Disadvantages of Socially Toxic Family Environments: A Comparison of Early Life Experiences of Incarcerated Men and University Students

Prior research reveals that negative early-life experiences play a major role in the development of obesity in later life, but few studies identify mechanisms that alter the lifetime risk of obesity. This study examines the influence of negative childhood experiences on body mass index (BMI) and obesity (BMI ≥30) during older adulthood and the psychosocial and behavioral pathways involved. Using a nationally representative sample, we examine the influence of cumulative misfortune as well as five separate domains of misfortune on BMI and obesity. Results show that four of the five domains are associated with BMI and obesity either directly, indirectly, or both. The influence of cumulative misfortune on the outcomes is mediated by three adult factors: socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, and physical activity. The mediators identified here provide targets for intervention among older adults to help offset the health risks of excess BMI attributable of early-life exposure to misfortune.

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Gene regulation contributes to explain the impact of early life socioeconomic disadvantage on adult inflammatory levels in two cohort studies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82714-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cristian Carmeli ◽

Zoltán Kutalik ◽

Pashupati P. Mishra ◽

Eleonora Porcu ◽

Cyrille Delpierre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Gene Regulation ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Early Life ◽

Life Experiences ◽

Socioeconomic Disadvantage ◽

Mediating Role ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

AbstractIndividuals experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood have a higher rate of inflammation-related diseases decades later. Little is known about the mechanisms linking early life experiences to the functioning of the immune system in adulthood. To address this, we explore the relationship across social-to-biological layers of early life social exposures on levels of adulthood inflammation and the mediating role of gene regulatory mechanisms, epigenetic and transcriptomic profiling from blood, in 2,329 individuals from two European cohort studies. Consistently across both studies, we find transcriptional activity explains a substantive proportion (78% and 26%) of the estimated effect of early life disadvantaged social exposures on levels of adulthood inflammation. Furthermore, we show that mechanisms other than cis DNA methylation may regulate those transcriptional fingerprints. These results further our understanding of social-to-biological transitions by pinpointing the role of gene regulation that cannot fully be explained by differential cis DNA methylation.

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Narcissism and recollections of early life experiences

Personality and Individual Differences ◽

10.1016/j.paid.2011.07.023 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (8) ◽

pp. 935-939 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Tamra E. Cater ◽

Virgil Zeigler-Hill ◽

Jennifer Vonk

Keyword(s):

Early Life ◽

Life Experiences

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Important Subjective Life Experiences and Sense of Authenticity: Retrospective Survey among Japanese University Students

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.103.3.695-700 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 103 (3) ◽

pp. 695-700 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Masaya Ito ◽

Masahiro Kodama

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Interpersonal Relationships ◽

Extracurricular Activities ◽

Life Experiences ◽

Retrospective Survey ◽

Japanese University

This study investigated the relation of important subjective life experiences with sense of authenticity for 238 Japanese university students who responded to the Sense of Authenticity Scale and provided free descriptions regarding their important life experiences. Analyses suggested a group with high scores on the Sense of Authenticity Scale tended to cite extracurricular activities as important life experiences, while those with low scores tended to cite cramming for examinations. Results were discussed in terms of interpersonal relationships.

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Conflicts with Wolves Can Originate from Their Parent Packs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061801 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1801

Author(s):

Diederik van Liere ◽

Nataša Siard ◽

Pim Martens ◽

Dušanka Jordan

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Early Life ◽

Negative Reinforcement ◽

Life Experiences ◽

Farm Animals ◽

Next Generation ◽

New Methods ◽

Google Search

Transmission of experience about prey and habitat supports the survival of next generation of wolves. Thus, the parent pack (PP) can affect whether young migrating wolves (loners) kill farm animals or choose to be in human environments, which generates human–wolf conflicts. Therefore, we researched whether the behavior of loners resembles PP behavior. After being extinct, 22 loners had entered the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019. Among them, 14 could be DNA-identified and linked with their PPs in Germany. Some loners were siblings. We assessed the behavior of each individual and PP through a structured Google search. PP behavior was determined for the loner’s rearing period. Similarity between loner and PP behavior was significant (p = 0.022) and applied to 10 of 14 cases: like their PPs, three loners killed sheep and were near humans, five killed sheep and did not approach humans, while two loners were unproblematic, they did not kill sheep, nor were they near humans. Siblings behaved similarly. Thus, sheep killing and proximity to humans may develop during early-life experiences in the PP. However, by negative reinforcement that can be prevented. New methods are suggested to achieve that. As a result, new generations may not be problematic when leaving PPs.

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