Intergenerational transmission of substance-related health-risk behaviors in later life: a focus on childhood physical abuse and emotional neglect

While studies have documented associations between parental and offspring substance-related health-risk behaviors during childhood and adolescence, it remains unclear whether childhood parental substance-related health-risk behaviors are associated with offspring substance-related health-risk behaviors assessed in later life. In the present study, substance-related health-risk behaviors refer specifically to smoking and drinking. Moreover, the potential mediating and moderating pathways underlying this long-term association have not been fully explored. This study examined the association between childhood parental smoking and drinking behaviors and offspring smoking and drinking behaviors assessed in later life, while also investigating the potential mediating roles of childhood physical abuse and emotional neglect and the moderating role of offspring gender. The analytic sample included 14,164 respondents (mean age = 61.41 years) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The results indicated that childhood parental substance-related health-risk behaviors were positively associated with offspring substance-related health-risk behaviors assessed in later life. Childhood physical abuse and emotional neglect emerged as significant indirect pathways linking parental and offspring substance-related health-risk behaviors. In addition, offspring gender significantly moderated this association, with stronger associations observed among male offspring than among female offspring. This study provides evidence of a long-term association between childhood parental and offspring substance-related health-risk behaviors assessed in later life and identifies potential mediating and moderating pathways underlying this relationship. The findings highlight the importance of adopting a life-course perspective when addressing substance-related health-risk behaviors among middle-aged and older adults and suggest that childhood physical abuse and emotional neglect may represent important targets for prevention and intervention efforts.