Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1A, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Helsinki, Finland,
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Dec;23(12):1201-10. doi: 10.1007/s00787-014-0519-x. Epub 2014 Jan 24.
Childhood behavioral problems have been associated with earlier childbearing, but their life-course reproductive consequences are unknown. The present study examined whether and how behavioral problems assessed in childhood predict fertility patterns over the life course in women and men. Participants were 9,472 individuals from the British National Child Development Study (4,739 men and 4,733 women). Childhood externalizing and internalizing behaviors were rated by teachers at ages 7 and 11. Information on fertility history was derived from interviews at ages 33, 42, and 46, including date of pregnancy, whether the pregnancy was planned or non-planned, and pregnancy outcome (live birth, miscarriages/stillbirth, induced abortion). Transition to parenthood and fertility rate were assessed using survival analysis and age-stratified regression models. In both sexes, higher externalizing behavior was associated with higher rate of pregnancies, especially non-planned pregnancies in adolescence and early adulthood, but this association attenuated or even reversed later in adulthood. Internalizing behavior was associated with lower pregnancy rates, especially planned pregnancies and later in adulthood, and particularly in men. In women, higher internalizing behavior was also associated with earlier transition to parenthood. Externalizing behavior in women predicted higher risk of miscarriages and induced abortions, while internalizing behavior predicted lower risk for these outcomes. These findings suggest that childhood behavioral problems have long-term associations with fertility behavior over the life course, including earlier transition to parenthood, lower probability of normative family formation later in adulthood, and higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
儿童期行为问题与较早的生育有关，但它们对生命过程中生殖的后果尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨儿童期行为问题是否以及如何预测女性和男性在生命过程中的生育模式。参与者为英国国家儿童发展研究（British National Child Development Study）中的 9472 人（男性 4739 人，女性 4733 人）。儿童期的外化和内化行为由教师在 7 岁和 11 岁时进行评估。生育史的信息来源于 33 岁、42 岁和 46 岁的访谈，包括怀孕日期、怀孕是否计划以及怀孕结果（活产、流产/死产、人工流产）。通过生存分析和年龄分层回归模型评估向父母身份的转变和生育率。在两性中，较高的外化行为与较高的怀孕率相关，尤其是青少年和成年早期的非计划怀孕，但这种关联在成年后期减弱甚至逆转。内化行为与较低的怀孕率相关，尤其是计划怀孕和成年后期，尤其是在男性中。在女性中，较高的内化行为也与更早的向父母身份转变相关。女性的外化行为预测流产和人工流产的风险较高，而内化行为预测这些结果的风险较低。这些发现表明，儿童期行为问题与生命过程中的生育行为具有长期关联，包括更早地向父母身份转变、成年后期规范家庭形成的可能性较低，以及不良妊娠结局的风险较高。
