Childhood Threats and Cognitive Difficulties in Mid and Later Life: A Gendered Perspective on the Mediating Role of Family Functioning.

Xue Bai; Jia-Jia Zhou; Bo Hu; David Ho Keung Shum

doi:10.1080/01634372.2025.2471994

Childhood Threats and Cognitive Difficulties in Mid and Later Life: A Gendered Perspective on the Mediating Role of Family Functioning.

Xue Bai, Jia-Jia Zhou^*, Bo Hu, David Ho Keung Shum

^*Corresponding author for this work

Academy of Wellness and Human Development

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

Abstract

This study examined the associations between childhood threats (parental abuse and bullying victimization) and cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Data were extracted from the 2022 Panel Study on Active Ageing and Society in Hong Kong (N = 5,007). Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro, both for the entire sample and gender-stratified models. Findings revealed that frequent parental abuse and bullying victimization during childhood were associated with increased cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Contemporary family functioning mediated these relationships. Gender differences were observed in the mediating role of family functioning, with its significance limited to older women.

Original language	English
Number of pages	21
Journal	Journal of Gerontological Social Work
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2025.2471994
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 5 Mar 2025

User-Defined Keywords

Bullying victimization
childhood threats
cognitive impairment
family functioning
gender differences
parental abuse

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1080/01634372.2025.2471994

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title = "Childhood Threats and Cognitive Difficulties in Mid and Later Life: A Gendered Perspective on the Mediating Role of Family Functioning.",

abstract = "This study examined the associations between childhood threats (parental abuse and bullying victimization) and cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Data were extracted from the 2022 Panel Study on Active Ageing and Society in Hong Kong (N = 5,007). Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro, both for the entire sample and gender-stratified models. Findings revealed that frequent parental abuse and bullying victimization during childhood were associated with increased cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Contemporary family functioning mediated these relationships. Gender differences were observed in the mediating role of family functioning, with its significance limited to older women.",

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AU - Zhou, Jia-Jia

AU - Hu, Bo

AU - Shum, David Ho Keung

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by ZeShan Foundation and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Publisher copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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N2 - This study examined the associations between childhood threats (parental abuse and bullying victimization) and cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Data were extracted from the 2022 Panel Study on Active Ageing and Society in Hong Kong (N = 5,007). Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro, both for the entire sample and gender-stratified models. Findings revealed that frequent parental abuse and bullying victimization during childhood were associated with increased cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Contemporary family functioning mediated these relationships. Gender differences were observed in the mediating role of family functioning, with its significance limited to older women.

AB - This study examined the associations between childhood threats (parental abuse and bullying victimization) and cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Data were extracted from the 2022 Panel Study on Active Ageing and Society in Hong Kong (N = 5,007). Mediation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro, both for the entire sample and gender-stratified models. Findings revealed that frequent parental abuse and bullying victimization during childhood were associated with increased cognitive difficulties in mid and later life. Contemporary family functioning mediated these relationships. Gender differences were observed in the mediating role of family functioning, with its significance limited to older women.

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DO - 10.1080/01634372.2025.2471994

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Childhood Threats and Cognitive Difficulties in Mid and Later Life: A Gendered Perspective on the Mediating Role of Family Functioning.

Abstract

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