Research has shown that children who experience supportive, nurturing parenting are more likely to develop healthy habits and behaviors that can reduce their risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity later in life. For example, children who are taught healthy eating habits and encouraged to be physically active are more likely to maintain these habits into adulthood, reducing their risk of obesity and related health problems.
According to new research from the University of Georgia, being a protective parent may prepare your children for a healthier life as adults. Growing up in areas where gunshots are common and heat and electricity are unreliable can lead to pain and other physical health limitations in adulthood, according to the study. According to the new research, being involved in your child’s life, such as knowing their friends or where they hang out after school, can help counteract those effects.
“Early life experiences really affect physical and mental well-being throughout our lifespan,” said Kelsey Corallo, lead author of the study and a recent doctoral graduate from UGA’s Department of Psychology. “Even if we don’t have a lot of tangible memories from very early in life, we know how we felt, how loved and supported we were, and these things get embedded in us.”
The study discovered that setting limits and letting your children know you are watching them reduces the risk of physical and mental health issues in adulthood.
Early life experiences really affect physical and mental well-being throughout our lifespan. Even if we don’t have a lot of tangible memories from very early in life, we know how we felt, how loved and supported we were, and these things get embedded in us.
Kelsey Corallo
“This isn’t just the direct ‘know where your kids are’ type of parenting, and it’s not helicopter parenting that makes a difference,” said Katherine Ehrlich, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Communicating love and the desire to be part of your child’s life, I think, is probably part of the magic ingredient of vigilant parenting that benefits the child.”
Stress in childhood may affect functioning of immune, regulatory systems
The study looked at data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97, which was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (The national survey followed thousands of people from their adolescence to their mid-30s.)
The researchers discovered a link between growing up in a less safe environment and adult physical health limitations. The researchers are concerned by this finding.
“There is a lot of research to show that stressful experiences – for example, feeling unsafe, not getting the basic resources that you need in life or being exposed to neglect or abuse – those things literally change how your body functions,” said Corallo, who is now a research associate at the Georgia Health Policy Center at Georgia State University.
The stress from those types of experiences can make it difficult for the body to regulate itself, the researchers said. If that sustained level of stress is experienced during childhood or infancy, it can cause lifelong issues with immune function or hormone regulation.
“Young people and children tend to be healthy, so the fact that we’re seeing a statistical association between physical limitations and childhood environmental risk is pretty incredible,” Corallo said. “It shows that these things really do matter, and they have an overt effect on health even in early adulthood when chronic illnesses often haven’t even set in yet.”
Parents who show they care what their kids are up to can positively impact their health
Participants in the study who grew up in less safe environments but had parents who were very involved in their lives did not suffer from the same health problems as their peers who did not have vigilant parents. Vigilant parenting was also linked to fewer adult mental health issues.
According to the researchers, children whose parents imposed curfews and monitored their friend groups were likely better protected from harmful behaviors that could have long-term consequences, such as smoking or binge drinking.
“It may be more difficult for parents to be that involved in more dangerous settings, such as if they work multiple jobs,” Corallo said. “However, even if they’re not physically present, keeping track of their children and ensuring that they know their parents are aware of and concerned about what they’re up to makes a big difference.”
Another important factor is ensuring that children understand that their parents are watching over them and setting limits because they care about them, not because they want to control every aspect of their lives.
“It’s all about how kids experience vigilant parenting and how they interpret it,” Ehrlich explained. “They do not believe it is helicopter parenting. They simply believe that their mother or father genuinely cares about them.”
