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The long-lasting effects of family and childhood on adult wellbeing: Evidence from British cohort data

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah N Flèche

    (AMSE - Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - École Centrale de Marseille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Warn N Lekfuangfu

    (Chulalongkorn University [Bangkok])

  • Andrew E. Clark

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

Abstract

To what extent do childhood experiences continue to affect adult wellbeing over the life course? Previous work on this link has been carried out either at one particular adult age or for some average over adulthood. We here use two British birth-cohort datasets (the 1958 NCDS and the 1970 BCS) to map out the time profile of the effect of childhood experiences on adult outcomes, including life satisfaction. We find that the effects of many aspects of childhood do not fade away over time but are rather remarkably stable. In both birth-cohorts, child non-cognitive skills are the strongest predictors of adult life satisfaction at all ages. Of these, emotional health is the strongest. Childhood cognitive performance is more important than good conduct in explaining adult life satisfaction in the earlier NCDS cohort, whereas this ranking is inverted in the more recent BCS.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah N Flèche & Warn N Lekfuangfu & Andrew E. Clark, 2021. "The long-lasting effects of family and childhood on adult wellbeing: Evidence from British cohort data," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-02489764, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:halshs-02489764
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2018.09.018
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-02489764v1
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. The Long-Lasting Effects of Family and Childhood on Adult Wellbeing: Evidence from British Cohort Data
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2018-05-17 19:57:21
    2. The Long-Lasting Effects of Family and Childhood on Adult Wellbeing: Evidence from British Cohort Data
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2017-11-24 00:28:38

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kreiner, Claus Thustrup & Olufsen, Isabel Skak, 2022. "Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 336-367.
    2. Piotr Bialowolski & Christos A. Makridis & Matt Bradshaw & Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska & Craig Gundersen & Noémie Pertel & Cristina Gibson & Sung Joon Jang & R. Noah Padgett & Byron R. Johnson & Tyler J, 2025. "Analysis of demographic variation and childhood correlates of financial well-being across 22 countries," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 9(5), pages 917-932, May.
    3. Andrén, Daniela & Clark, Andrew E & D´Ambrosio, Conchita & Karlsson, Sune & Pettersson, Nicklas, 2017. "Subjective and physiological measures of well-being: an exploratory analysis using birth-cohort data," Working Papers 2017:8, Örebro University, School of Business.
    4. Clark, Andrew E. & Lee, Tom, 2021. "Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 360-368.
    5. Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Marta Barazzetta, 2021. "Childhood circumstances and young adulthood outcomes: The role of mothers' financial problems," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 342-357, February.
    6. Clark, Andrew E. & D’Ambrosio, Conchita & Barrazzetta, Marta, 2019. "Childhood circumstances and young adult outcomes: the role of mothers' financial problems," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 102630, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Marta E Barazzetta & Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D’ambrosio, 2017. "Childhood Circumstances and Young Adulthood Outcomes: The Effects of Mothers' Financial Problems," Working Papers halshs-01622334, HAL.
    8. Liu, Wei & Li, Wenbo & Chen, Yu, 2025. "Impact of subjective wellbeing on investment behavior," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    9. Emily McDool, 2018. "Class Setting and Children’s Non-Cognitive Outcomes," Working Papers 2018008, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    10. Karyn Morrissey & Tim Taylor & Gengyang Tu, 2023. "Estimating the Impact of Relative Financial Circumstances in Childhood on Adult Mental Wellbeing: a Mediation Analysis," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 915-930, April.
    11. Montorsi, Carlotta & Fusco, Alessio & Van Kerm, Philippe & Bordas, Stéphane P.A., 2024. "Predicting depression in old age: Combining life course data with machine learning," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    12. Piper, Alan, 2024. "In a dark wood: an exploration of the midlife low in human wellbeing and a research agenda," MPRA Paper 121612, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Carol Graham, 2005. "The Economics of Happiness," World Economics, World Economics, 1 Ivory Square, Plantation Wharf, London, United Kingdom, SW11 3UE, vol. 6(3), pages 41-55, July.
    14. Bialowolski, Piotr & A.Makridis, Christos & Bradshaw, Matt & Bialowolska, Dorota Weziak & Gundersen, Craig & Le Pertel, Noémie & Gibson, Cristina & Jang, Sung Joon & Padgett, R. Noah & Johnson, Byron , 2025. "Analysis of demographic variation and childhood correlates of financial well-being across 22 countries," OSF Preprints 6cnem_v1, Center for Open Science.
    15. Lekfuangfu, Warn N. & Odermatt, Reto, 2022. "All I have to do is dream? The role of aspirations in intergenerational mobility and well-being," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • D60 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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