title: Observed parent-child relationship quality predicts antibody response to vaccination in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of the parent-child relationship is a robust predictor of behavioral and emotional health for children and adolescents; the application to physical health is less clear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the links between observed parent-child relationship quality in an interaction task and antibody response to meningococcal conjugate vaccine in a longitudinal study of 164 ambulatory 10-11 year-old children; additional analyses examine associations with cortisol reactivity, BMI, and somatic illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observed Negative/Conflict behavior in the interaction task predicted a less robust antibody response to meningococcal serotype C vaccine in the child over a 6 month-period, after controlling for socio-economic and other covariates. Observer rated interaction conflict also predicted increased cortisol reactivity following the interaction task and higher BMI, but these factors did not account for the link between relationship quality and antibody response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results begin to document the degree to which a major source of child stress exposure, parent-child relationship conflict, is associated with altered immune system development in children, and may constitute an important public health consideration.
authors: Wynne Center for Family Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States. Electronic address: Tom_OConnor@URMC.Rochester.edu.
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: O'Connor
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Hongyue
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Jan A
authors: JA
authors: Moynihan
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Peter A
authors: PA
authors: Wyman
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Carnahan
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Gerry
authors: G
authors: Lofthus
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Sally A
authors: SA
authors: Quataert
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Bowman
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States.
authors: Anne S
authors: AS
authors: Burke
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642, United States. Electronic address: Mary_Caserta@URMC.Rochester.edu.
authors: Mary T
authors: MT
authors: Caserta
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D008603:Mental Health; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines
keywords: Antibody response; Meningococcal conjugate vaccine; Observation; Parent–child interaction; Stress