Association of Early Parent-Child Separation With Multidomain Implications in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Prospective Cohort Study in China

Purpose The aim of the study was to explore the long-term impacts of parent-child separation on a broad set of health and well-being indicators during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Methods Participants were from the China Family Panel Studies, a national representative prospective cohort, and 2710 adolescents aged 7–15 years recruited from 25 provinces after an 8-year follow-up were eventually included in this study. We examined the association of prolonged parent-child separation with educational, social, emotional, and health-related outcomes by comparing participants with experience of prolonged parent-child separation and their counterparts staying with parents. Results Participants who experienced prolonged parent-child separation in childhood were more likely to have lower educational attainment (odds ratio [OR]: 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 2.76; p = .04), depression (OR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.28, 5.41; p = .008), marriage or cohabitation (OR: 2.79, 95% CI: 1.40, 5.57; p = .004), and ever-smoke (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.95, 5.91; p < .001). Prolonged parent-child separation was also associated with a 0.64-year loss in educational attainment, 2.99- and 2.39-unit decreases in math and word test score, as well as 2.08 kg/m2 decreases in body mass index. Discussion This nationally representative study indicates that prevention efforts that reduce exposure to parent-child separation in childhood could substantially reduce the lifetime prevalence of educational, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems in the general population.