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We gratefully acknowledge grant support from NIMH & NICHD (#’s 2R01HD058305 & R01-MH58066).

Paper Symposium: Toward a Differentiated Perspective on the Meaning of Adolescent Peer Relations for Adult Functioning in the Long-term.

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We gratefully acknowledge grant support from NIMH & NICHD (#’s 2R01HD058305 & R01-MH58066).

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  1. Paper Symposium:Toward a Differentiated Perspective on the Meaning of Adolescent Peer Relations for Adult Functioning in the Long-term

  2. Friends and Health Across Time: Cumulative Long-term Links of Adolescent Social Functioning to Adult Physical Health Joe AllenElendaHesselEmily LoebUniversity of Virginia Farah Williams, Ph.D. Chris Hafen, Ph.D. Megan Schad Lauren Everhart Rachel Narr Christy McFarland, Ph.D. Emily Marston, Ph.D. Erin Miga, Ph.D. Amanda Hare, Ph.D. Collaborators: Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D. Kathleen McElhaney, Ph.D. Joseph Tan Samantha Magaro Lauren Elreda, Ph.D. We gratefully acknowledge grant support from NIMH & NICHD (#’s 2R01HD058305 & R01-MH58066). Copies of related papers are available at:WWW.TEENRESEARCH.ORG

  3. Social Relationships and Physical Health • Surprisingly Powerful Links • Social isolation linked to: • Early Mortality • Effects Comparable to Physical Risk Factors

  4. Social Relationships and Physical Health • Hypothesized Mechanisms • Health Behavior • Poor Physical Health as Creating Social Isolation • Stress/Allostatic Load

  5. Social Relationships and Physical Health • Hypothesized Mechanisms • Humans as Pack Animals • Needing Social Contact to Thrive

  6. Overarching Question Can we identify social relationship characteristics in adolescence that predict long-term health outcomes into adulthood?

  7. Assessing Global Adult Health • Age 25 – Simple 5-item Self-Report Scale (Medical Outcomes Study Short-form Health Survey, DeSalvo , 2006) • Cronbach’sα =.83

  8. Assessing Global Adult Health Age 25 Links from Prior Literature Objective Markers of Illness Global Health Assessment Future Illness Early Mortality

  9. Sample • 184 Adolescents (followed from age 13 to 27), their Parents, Best Friends, Other Friends, Romantic Partners • Intensive Interviews and Observations with all parties (Total N over first 15 years ~ 3400). • Equal numbers of Males and Females • Socio-economically Diverse (Median Family Income= $40- $60K) • 31% African American; 69% European American • Very Low Attrition (98% participation rate in current phase)

  10. Can We Prospectively Identify Adolescent Relationship Qualities That Will Predict Their Health as Adults? Plan of Attack: Start With Intuitive Long-term Predictors e.g., Social Acceptance/ Social Anxiety Data on an Unexpected, but Remarkably Robust Set of Predictors The (Not So) Rugged Individualist Putting it all Together

  11. Peer AcceptanceAge 14 Combination of Three Peer-report Measures: • Close Friend Attachment to Target Teen: • Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) • Overall Friendship Quality with Target Teen: • Friendship Quality Questionnaire (Parker & Asher, 1993) • Social Acceptance of Target Teen: • Rated by Close Friend • Modified Adolescent Self-Perception Profile, Close Friendship Competence Scale (Harter, 1988)

  12. Early Social Acceptance Predicting Future Global Health Age 25 Age 14 Global Health Social Acceptance .21**

  13. Early Social Acceptance Predicting Future Global Health Age 25 Age 14 Global Health Social Acceptance .27** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.12 Body Mass Index -.10 Family Income -.22** Gender Peer-ratings of social acceptance of target teen predict target teen’s future health.

  14. Social Anxiety (Age 19-20) • Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (LaGreca, 1998) • 22-item self-report scale • Cronbach’sα =.93 • Collected at both age 19 and age 20, with the average score across the two ages used.

  15. Late-Adolescent Social Anxiety Predicting Future Global Health Age 25 Age 19-20 Global Health Social Anxiety -.24**

  16. Late-Adolescent Social Anxiety Predicting Future Global Health Age 25 Age 19-20 Global Health Social Anxiety -.27** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.17* Body Mass Index -.02 Family Income -.17* Gender Social anxiety predicts POORER future health.

  17. The Risky Status of The Rugged Individualist • Links of dominance to poor heart health (Smith et al., 2007, 2012) • Cross-cultural comparisons ??

  18. Peer Ratings of Target Teen as a Follower • Report by Best Friend at age 14 : • 5-items • Examples: • Some teens do things just because other kids do them • Some teens usually do whatever their friends tell them to do • Some teens get a lot of ideas about what to wear, what to do, and how to act from their friends • Cronbach’sα =.68

  19. Peer-ratings of Teen as a Follower Predicting Future Health Age 25 Age 14 Global Health Teen is a Follower .22** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.17 Body Mass Index -.05 Family Income -.15* Gender Peer-ratings of Teen as a Follower Predict BETTER Health in Adulthood

  20. Leadership Self-Ratings • Self-report at age 14 • 5-items • Examples: • How much do you see yourself as being similar to teens who: • Set an example for other kids to follow • Are copied by other kids • Often tell their friends what to do

  21. Self-reported Leadership Predicting Future Global Health Age 25 Age 25 Age 14 Global Health Leadership -.28*** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.14 Body Mass Index -.04 Family Income -.17* Gender Leadership is related to POORER Health in Adulthood.

  22. Target Teen is Easily Influenced by Peers(Age 16) • Report by Best Friend at age 16: • 7-items • Overall, how much do you actually think you influence: • Who Target Teen Hangs out With • How Target Teen Treats Other People • Target Teen to Drink (or Not toDrink) • Target Teen to Follow Parents’ Rules • Target Teen to go farther (or not ) sexually • Cronbach’sα =.71

  23. Peer-ratings of Teen as Easily Influenced Predicting Future Health Age 25 Age 16 Global Health Easily Influenced by Peers .25** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.17 Body Mass Index -.09 Family Income -.21* Gender Easily Influenced Teens at 16 have BETTER Health in Adulthood

  24. Teen is Assertive (Peer-Ratings) (Age 17) • Report by Best Friend at age 17 : • 5-items • Examples: How Good is Target Teen at: • Getting people to go along with what he/she wants • Taking charge • Sticking up for him/herself • Getting someone to agree with his/her point of view • Deciding what should be done • Cronbach’sα =.90

  25. Peer-ratings of Teen Assertiveness Predicting Future Health Age 17 Age 25 Global Health Assertiveness -.29*** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.20* Body Mass Index -.16 Family Income -.12 Gender Assertive Teens at 17 have POORER Health in Adulthood

  26. Teen Values Self-Direction (Age 19) • Adapted from Parenting Values Measure • (Schaefer, 1985; Kohn, 1977) • 6-items • Examples: I should… • Be able to think for myself • Obey parents, bosses or teachers (reverse-scored) • Cronbach’sα =.53

  27. Peer-ratings of Teen Valuing of Self-direction Predicting Future Health Age 19 Age 25 Global Health Self-directedness -.31*** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.24** Body Mass Index -.09 Family Income -.17 Gender Self-directed Teens at 19 have POORER Health in Adulthood

  28. Putting It All TogetherComposite Measure of “Rugged Individualism” Combination of Three Peer-report Measures: • Teen as Follower (age 14; reverse-scored) • Teen Influenced by Peers (Age 16; reverse-scored) • Teen Assertiveness (Age 17) • Standardized and summed together.

  29. Self-ratings of Individualism Composite Predicting Future Health Age 14-17 Age 25 Global Health Rugged Individualism Composite -.36*** Adolescent Covariates: Adult Covariates: -.15 Body Mass Index -.05 Family Income -.23*** Individualism Composite Accounts for 13.9% of Incremental Variance in Health Outcomes Gender

  30. Comprehensive Model of Adolescent Social Relationships Predicting Future Health Age 14 Age 14-17 Age 20 Age 25 Social Anxiety Social Acceptance -.19* .19* Global Health .02 -.29*** Rugged Individualism Composite .10 -.22** -.14 Adult Covariates: Adol. Covariates: Body Mass Index -.03 Family Income Concurrent Depressive Symptoms (BDI) -.21** Gender 3 Social Predictors Account for 29.6% of Incremental Variance in Health After Covariates

  31. Conclusions • Adolescent Social Relationships and Future Health • Peer Relationships and Peer Pressure really may be ‘life and death’ issues for teens. Copies of related papers are available at:www.TeenResearch.org

  32. Conclusions • The Death of the Rugged Individualist? • (or at least his/her poor health)? • Evidence from other observational research on dominance/independence • Tim Smith and Marital Relationships • Robert Sapolsky and Primate Dominance Hierarchies • Evidence from other cultures • East to West Copies of related papers are available at:www.TeenResearch.org

  33. Limitations • Correlational not Causal • Did not have baseline health assessments • StillNeed to Understand Possible Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms! • HPA Axis • Cardiovascular Reactivity • Immune Functioning • Health/Risk Behaviors • Etc. Copies of related papers are available at:www.TeenResearch.org

  34. Conclusions • Implications: • Recognizing the adolescent bind • Well-child visits and predictors of future health • Interventions to enhance peer relationships Copies of related papers are available at:www.TeenResearch.org

  35. Thinking different is great…but it has its costs.

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