Childhood chronic condition and subsequent self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence: a birth cohort study

• Published in: European Journal of Pediatrics
• Main Authors: Määttä, Heidi, Honkanen, Meri, Hurtig, Tuula, Taanila, Anja, Ebeling, Hanna, Koivumaa-Honkanen, Heli
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2022
• Subjects: Original Article; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9395476/; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35796794; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-022-04505-9

Chronic conditions are common in childhood. We investigated the associations of childhood chronic conditions reported by parents with subsequent self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. A sample of 6290 children (3142 boys and 3148 girls) with data on chronic condition reported by parents both at 7 and at 16 years of age was obtained from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986), which is a longitudinal 1-year birth cohort (n = 9432) from an unselected, regionally defined population. Internalizing and externalizing problems were measured at 8 years of age with Rutter Children’s Behavioral Questionnaire by teachers and at 16 years of age with Youth Self-Report by adolescents. When studying the effects of history of chronic conditions on these problems at 16 years of age, childhood internalizing and externalizing problems and social relations were adjusted. A history of chronic condition predicted subsequent somatic complaints among all adolescents. Early-onset chronic conditions were related to subsequent externalizing (OR 1.35; 1.02–1.79) and attention problems (OR 1.33; 1.01–1.75) and later onset of chronic conditions with internalizing (OR 1.49; 1.22–1.82) and thought problems (OR 1.50; 1.18–1.92). The effect was specific for sex and the type of chronic condition. Conclusion: Childhood chronic conditions predicted internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescence. To prevent poor mental health trajectories, children with chronic conditions during their growth to adolescence need early support and long-term monitoring.