Abstract
Purpose
To examine positive childhood experiences as predictors of positive adult functioning,
including civic involvement, productivity and responsibility, interpersonal connection,
and physical exercise; and to examine adolescent substance use as a mediator of prosocial
continuity.
Methods
A total of 429 rural participants were interviewed across seven waves from age 11
to 22 years. Structural equation models examined the relationship between positive
childhood experiences and adult functioning, with adolescent substance use added to
each model as a possible mediating mechanism.
Results
Positive childhood experiences predicted significantly better adult functioning for
each model, even after accounting for adolescent substance use. Positive childhood
experiences also consistently predicted significantly less adolescent substance use.
In turn, adolescent substance use predicted significantly less civic involvement and
less productivity and responsibility, but was not associated with interpersonal connection
or physical exercise when accounting for childhood experiences. Results were largely
consistent across gender and levels of family income.
Conclusion
Findings show the enduring importance of positive childhood experiences in predicting
positive functioning in early adulthood. Although adolescent substance use increased
risk for poorer functioning in important domains of adult life, results suggest that
positive experiences in late childhood continued to have a significant prosocial effect
into young adulthood. The study also highlights the late elementary grades as a time
when parents, teachers, and others can potentially have a large influence in proactively
providing prosocial opportunities for children.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 11, 2011
Accepted:
November 11,
2010
Received:
April 26,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
