Women with childhood experiences of poorer quality parenting were at increased risk of prevalent cancer.
These findings considered together indicate an earlier onset of cancer in women who have experienced poorer quality parenting in childhood compared with men with the same experiences. This can be interpreted as an indication of women’s increased vulnerability to adversity and chronic stress in childhood.
Common risk factors, such as unhealthy behaviours morocco rcs data and affective problems, did not explain the associations. role of these factors is needed.
Our findings presuppose that childhood experiences of poor parenting as a powerful childhood stressor can initiate, modulate or catalyse biological processes, which in the long-term and under the right conditions might lead to the development of cancer in late adulthood.
Our findings are novel and indicate that poor quality parenting possibly is a childhood risk factor for cancer at older ages. They expand on the current understanding of cancer aetiology and add to the debate about the role of psychosocial factors in cancer causation.