How childhood, teenage, and COVID experiences shape early adult life across cultures
Childhood, Adolescence, and Covid-Related Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Adjustment in Early Adulthood Across Cultures
This project looks at how childhood, teenage, and COVID-related experiences affect health, relationships, and life choices for young adults across nine countries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11380386 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers have followed a group of children who were 8 years old in 2008 across nine countries and will now interview those original participants and their parents annually as they turn 22–26. The team uses yearly interviews with young adults and parent reports to link earlier parenting, cultural values, and pandemic experiences to current mental health, substance use, relationships, and decision-making. With about 90% retention of the original group, the study compares patterns across diverse cultural settings to find common and culture-specific risk and protective factors. Findings will come from analyzing the long-term survey and interview data collected over the life course.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are the original Parenting Across Cultures participants—people recruited at age 8 who are now 22–26—and their parents.
Not a fit: People who were not part of the original cohort, are outside the 22–26 age range, or live outside the study countries may not directly participate or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early-life and pandemic-related factors to target with programs that reduce mental health issues, substance problems, and risky behaviors in young adults.
How similar studies have performed: Other long-term cohort studies have linked childhood and adolescent experiences to adult outcomes, though the cross-cultural, multi-country and COVID-focused combination here is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lansford, Jennifer E — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Lansford, Jennifer E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.