Skip to main content

Father Loss and Child Telomere Length

Author(s): Mitchell, Colter; McLanahan, Sara; Schneper, Lisa M.; Garfinkel, Irv; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; et al

Download
To refer to this page use: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pr1833mx83
Full metadata record
DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorMitchell, Colter-
dc.contributor.authorMcLanahan, Sara-
dc.contributor.authorSchneper, Lisa M.-
dc.contributor.authorGarfinkel, Irv-
dc.contributor.authorBrooks-Gunn, Jeanne-
dc.contributor.authorNotterman, Daniel A.-
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-25T14:57:19Z-
dc.date.available2022-01-25T14:57:19Z-
dc.date.issued2017-08en_US
dc.identifier.citationMitchell, Colter, McLanahan, Sara, Schneper, Lisa, Garfinkel, Irv, Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne, Notterman, Daniel. (2017). Father Loss and Child Telomere Length. Pediatrics, 140 (2), e20163245 - e20163245. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-3245en_US
dc.identifier.issn0031-4005-
dc.identifier.urihttp://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pr1833mx83-
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Father loss during childhood has negative health and behavioral consequences, but the biological consequences are unknown. Our goal was to examine how father loss (because of separation and/or divorce, death, or incarceration) is associated with cellular function as estimated by telomere length. METHODS: Data come from the 9-year follow-up of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of children in 20 large American cities (N = 2420). Principal measures are as follows: salivary telomere length (sTL), mother reports of father loss, and polymorphisms in genes related to serotonergic and dopaminergic signaling. RESULTS: At 9 years of age, children with father loss have significantly shorter telomeres (14% reduction). Paternal death has the largest association (16%), followed by incarceration (10%), and separation and/or divorce (6%). Changes in income partially mediate these associations (95% mediation for separation and/or divorce, 30% for incarceration, and 25% for death). Effects are 40% greater for boys and 90% greater for children with the most reactive alleles of the serotonin transporter genes when compared with those with the least reactive alleles. No differences were found by age at father loss or a child’s race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Father loss has a significant association with children’s sTL, with the death of a father showing the largest effect. Income loss explains most of the association between child sTL and separation and/or divorce but much less of the association with incarceration or death. This underscores the important role of fathers in the care and development of children and supplements evidence of the strong negative effects of parental incarceration.en_US
dc.format.extent1 - 10en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.relation.ispartofPediatricsen_US
dc.rightsFinal published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.en_US
dc.titleFather Loss and Child Telomere Lengthen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
dc.identifier.doidoi:10.1542/peds.2016-3245-
dc.date.eissued2017-07-18en_US
dc.identifier.eissn1098-4275-
pu.type.symplectichttp://www.symplectic.co.uk/publications/atom-terms/1.0/journal-articleen_US

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
PEDS_20163245.pdf898.03 kBAdobe PDFView/Download


Items in OAR@Princeton are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.