​THIS parenting trait may lead to shorter lives in children

According to research by the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) in Brazil and University College London (UCL), children of overprotective parents tend to live less. The research ispublishedin the journal Scientific Reports.

The researchers analysed data from nearly 1,000 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing born in the 1950s and 1960s. They concluded that children’s relationships with parents influence longevity. The findings of the study were shocking.

Men who had an overprotective father and little autonomy during childhood may run a 12% higher risk of dying before their eightieth birthday. When it came to women who had an overprotective father, the risk of dying before the age of 80 increased by 22%. On the other hand, women who were well cared for by their mother during childhood had a decreased risk of 14%.

Another interesting finding was that the men, who lived with single parents during childhood had a 179% higher risk of dying before turning 80.

“The results of our analysis refer to people who would now be elderly, and they wouldn’t necessarily be the same for later generations,” Tiago Silva Alexandre, last author of the article, said in a statement.

“The most interesting thing about our study is that we were able to show in numbers what has been discussed about parenting for many years. Caring and loving relationships with your father and mother during childhood have repercussions for the rest of your life. In particular, our findings show how they affect longevity. Public policy should support better conditions during childhood in order for people to enjoy old age,” Alexandre added.

The scientists also looked into the psychological after-effects of child-parent relationships. They found that authoritarianism, permissiveness, and negligence can be negative for children’s development.

“The middle way is best, avoiding both intrusiveness, which stops children from being autonomous, as well as negligence or emotional distance. What we call care in the article is a matter of not neglecting but being present and taking care without overprotecting,” Aline Fernanda de Souza Canelada, first author of the article added.

This is the first study to explore how the absence of a parent or deficient parental relationships can reduce longevity. “Children need parental care and support, but not intrusion, which deprives the child of autonomy. Research in psychology shows that this kind of relationship is also weak, because the child is afraid of the parent, and leads to various problems, including unhealthy habits, with some studies showing an increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental health difficulties such as stress, which correlates closely with reduced longevity,” Canelada noted.

“Neglected children may experience higher levels of stress later in life owing to the reverberations of this early neglect, and the probability of disease increases,” Alexandre said.

The researchers emphasized the importance of balanced parenting, offering care and presence without excessive control or emotional distance. Reflecting on the overprotective parenting today, especially in children who live with one parent, the researchers added, “We know parents now overprotect their children differently, and this may also have an impact. It’s a different kind of relationship, but it also has its fragilities.”

“In this case, cultural and social factors may have had a more significant effect than they do now. Having separated parents was seen differently in the past and could be particularly difficult for male children. We can’t know how this would work out now, given the society we have, but it was very heavy for males born in the 1950s and 1960s, the study shows,” Alexandre said.