title: The long-term effects of poor childhood health: an assessment and application of retrospective reports.
abstract: This study assesses retrospective childhood health reports and examines childhood health as a predictor of adult health. The results suggest that such reports are of reasonable reliability as to warrant their judicious use in population research. They also demonstrate a large positive relationship between childhood and adult health. Compared with excellent, very good, or good childhood health, poor childhood health is associated with more than three times greater odds of having poor adult self-rated health and twice the risk of a work-limiting disability or a chronic health condition. These associations are independent of childhood and current socioeconomic position and health-related risk behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Center for Population Dynamics, School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873701, Tempe, AZ 85287-3701, USA. Steven.Haas@asu.edu
authors.forename: Steven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Haas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013995:Time; D014481:United States