Associations between childhood reading problems and affective symptoms across the life course: Evidence from the 1946 British Birth Cohort

Background: Little is known about long-term outcomes of reading problems in childhood on affective symptoms across the life course. The aim of this research was to test longitudinal associations between reading problems in childhood and affective symptoms from adolescence to early old age. Methods: Data were from the National Survey of Health and Development (British 1946 birth cohort). A measure of reading problems was available at age 11. Affective symptoms were assessed at ages 13, 15, 35, 43, 53, 60-64 and 69. Path analyses tested longitudinal associations between reading problems and affective symptoms from adolescence to early old age. Linear regressions tested associations between reading problems in childhood and accumulation of affective symptoms across the life course (age 13 to 69). Models were adjusted for sex, education, conduct problems, and socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood. Results: After full adjustment, reading problems were significantly associated with higher affective symptoms in adolescence (ages 13 and 15) but not affective symptoms in adulthood (ages 36, 43, 53, 60-64, and 69). Reading problems were not associated with accumulation of affective symptoms across the life course. Limitations: Attrition was limitation of this study, due to the long follow-up period. In order to account for missing data, full information maximum likelihood (FIML) was used. Conclusions: Childhood reading problems are associated with higher affective symptoms in adolescence, but this does not persist into adulthood. These results highlight an important period in adolescence when reading problems may exert a particularly strong effect on affective symptoms.

Automated summary

The study found that childhood reading problems are significantly associated with affective symptoms in adolescence, but this association does not persist into adulthood. Additionally, reading problems do not lead to accumulation of affective symptoms across the life course.