Effect of Household Dysfunction in Childhood on General Health and Depression in Adolescence in Taiwan: A Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study

Although the harmful health effects of childhood adversity have been a public health focus, the sensitive periods for its impact on different aspects of health outcomes in adolescence are unknown. We aimed to examine the effects of the timing of experiencing childhood household dysfunction on general health and depression in adolescence. Data were obtained from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Pilot Study (TBCS-P), and respondents with surveys completed from birth to 15 years were included as study participants. The primary independent variable was the timing of exposure to childhood household dysfunction with four categories– early (age 3–5), late (age 8–12), chronic, and never. The dependent variables were general health and depression at age 15. Approximately 40% of children experienced household dysfunction before age 12. Individuals exposed to childhood household dysfunction were more likely to have poor health and higher levels of depressive symptoms than those who had never experienced it. Across the timing of exposure to household dysfunction, children in the early (OR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.09–2.49) group had the worst general health at age 15. Moreover, experiencing household dysfunction in late childhood was associated with the greatest depression scores (β = 0.62, p = 0.063), despite not reaching significance. Household dysfunction in childhood has long-term adverse effects on health in adolescence, emphasizing with early and late childhood as particularly sensitive periods for the impacts of household dysfunction on health and depression, respectively. Preventing household dysfunction in childhood and mitigating its impact are needed to ensure healthy development throughout life.