| Title: |
Breastfeeding and offspring’s compassion and empathy in adulthood:a study with an over 30‐year follow‐up |
| Authors: |
Saarinen, A. I. (Aino I. L.); Keltikangas-Järvinen, L. (Liisa); Honda, Y. (Yukiko); Oksman, E. (Elli); Raitakari, O. (Olli); Pulkki-Råback, L. (Laura); Hintsanen, M. (Mirka) |
| Publisher Information: |
John Wiley & Sons |
| Publication Year: |
2020 |
| Collection: |
Jultika - University of Oulu repository / Oulun yliopiston julkaisuarkisto |
| Subject Terms: |
breastfeeding; compassion; early childhood; empathy; longitudinal; personality |
| Description: |
This study investigated whether breastfeeding predicts offspring’s dispositional compassion and empathy from early adulthood to middle age. The parents of the participants (N = 1,394) of the Young Finns study answered questions about breastfeeding in 1983, and the participants’ compassion and empathy were evaluated in 1997‒2012 (participants were aged 20‒50 years). Breastfeeding did not predict the course of compassion or empathy in adulthood at the age of 20‒50 years. The associations remained non‐significant, when adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic factors, and a wide range of characteristics of the family environment (including mother’s gestational age; premature birth; birth weight; number of other children at home; parental mental disorder; parental relationship status; parental postnatal smoking; parental postnatal alcohol use; parenting behavior; and child’s externalizing behavior). In conclusion, breastfeeding seems not to predict offspring’s compassion or empathy in adulthood. The findings may present a hopeful perspective for children growing up with non‐breastfeeding caregivers. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Availability: |
http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe2020101484101 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; © 2019 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Saarinen, A. I. L., Keltikangas‐Järvinen, L., Honda, Y., Oksman, E., Raitakari, O., Pulkki‐Råback, L. & Hintsanen, M. (2020). Breastfeeding and offspring’s compassion and empathy in adulthood: A study with an over 30‐year follow‐up. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 61, 227– 236., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12600. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving." |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.7F4CB5AE |
| Database: |
BASE |