Abstract: Estimating the Roles of Genetic Influence, Prenatal Substance Use and Perinatal Risk on Early Child Temperament (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

Schedule:

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Columbia A/B (Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC)

* noted as presenting author

Chang Liu, MS, Phd candidate, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Jody M. Ganiban, PhD, Professor, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Elizabeth A. Shewark, MA, Graduate Student, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Leslie D. Leve, PhD, Associate Director of the Prevention Science Institute; Professor of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, Prevention Science Institute, Eugene, OR

David Reiss, MD, Clinical Professor, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Daniel S. Shaw, PhD, Professor and Chair, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Misaki Natsuaki, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA

Jenae M. Neiderhiser, PhD, Research Professor of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

There is clear evidence of heritable influences on early childhood temperament. Despite evidence that maternal prenatal substance use affects child behavior and that prenatal environments may partially account for putative heritable effects on child outcomes, most work on temperament has not considered the impact of prenatal environments.

Using data from the Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS; N = 561; Leve et al., 2013) we examined heritable and prenatal environmental influences on child temperament in toddlers. For this study, heritable influences on adopted child temperament were estimated using three birth mother (BM) personality factors (self-control vs. negative affect, agreeableness vs. disagreeableness, and orienting sensitivity vs. low reactivity) derived from factor analyses of personality and temperament questionnaires completed by the BM: Adult Temperament Questionnaire, Temperament Character Inventory and Harter Adult Self-Perception Profile. BM prenatal substance use was assessed by self-reports of frequency of substance use during pregnancy using a modified version of the Life History Calendar method and perinatal risk was assessed using a total score across six specific categories of obstetric risk obtained from BM self-reports and medical record data. Child temperament was assessed using combined adoptive mother and father ratings on TBAQ at 27 months.

The full model examined associations between heritable (BM personality) and prenatal (maternal substance use, obstetric complications) factors and child temperament, and considered prenatal factors as a mediator of the associations between heritable factors and child temperament (c²(222) = 423.57, CFI = .92, RMSEA =.04, SRMR =.04). Child anger was negatively associated with BM agreeableness (b = -.21, SE = .10, p < .05), and obstetric complications (b = -.11, SE = .05, p < .05). Child pleasure was negatively associated with BM orienting sensitivity (b = -.14, SE = .07, p < .05), but positively related to prenatal illicit drug use (b = .11, SE = .05, p = .05). Although BM personality characteristics were related to prenatal drug and tobacco use, prenatal factors did not mediate associations between BM personality and child temperament.

These results indicate both heritable and prenatal environmental influences on early child temperament. However, prenatal factors did not mediate heritable influences, suggesting different pathways of influence, which may be meaningful when examining child outcomes. Additional analysis will include birth father personality to better index heritable influences. These findings help to clarify mechanisms underlying the pathways from heritable influences to child outcomes, providing a basis for future prevention work.

Abstract: Estimating the Roles of Genetic Influence, Prenatal Substance Use and Perinatal Risk on Early Child Temperament (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

234 Estimating the Roles of Genetic Influence, Prenatal Substance Use and Perinatal Risk on Early Child Temperament