Associations among Temperament Characteristics and Telomere Length and Attrition Rate in Early Childhood
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| Title: | Associations among Temperament Characteristics and Telomere Length and Attrition Rate in Early Childhood |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Michelle Bosquet Enlow (ORCID |
| Source: | Developmental Psychology. 2024 60(11):2220-2232. |
| Availability: | American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2024 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS) |
| Contract Number: | MH078829 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Personality Traits, Infants, Toddlers, Gender Differences, Genetics, Psychological Patterns, Physiology, Infant Behavior, Individual Characteristics |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire |
| DOI: | 10.1037/dev0001635 |
| ISSN: | 0012-1649 1939-0599 |
| Abstract: | There is growing interest in telomere length as an indicator of current and future health. Although early childhood is a period of rapid telomere attrition, little is known about the factors that influence telomere biology during this time. Adult research suggests that telomere length is influenced by psychological characteristics. This study's goal was to test associations among repeated measures of temperament and telomere length in a community sample of children (N = 602; 52% male, 73% non-Hispanic White, middle-to-high socioeconomic status) from infancy to age 3 years. Relative telomere length was assessed from DNA in saliva samples collected at infancy (M = 8.4 months), 2 years (M = 24.9 months), and 3 years (M = 37.8 months). Temperament was assessed via maternal report questionnaires administered at infancy (Infant Behavior Report Questionnaire--Revised) and ages 2 and 3 years (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire). Temperament was operationalized in two ways: using the established domains of negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, and regulation/effortful control and using person-centered scores that identified three groups of children with similar profiles across domains (emotionally and behaviorally regulated; emotionally and behaviorally dysregulated; introverted and overcontrolled). Analyses revealed that greater regulation/effortful control was associated with longer telomere length across time points. Additionally, higher surgency/extraversion, beginning in infancy, was associated with decreased rate of telomere attrition. There were no sex differences in the relations between temperament and telomere measures. These findings suggest that, as early as infancy, temperament may influence telomere biology, with a potential protective effect of positive temperament characteristics on telomere erosion. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1501232 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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