Early risk factors related to social functioning in young adults born very preterm.

BACKGROUND

Individuals born very preterm (VPT; <32 weeks' gestation) are at a greater risk of poorer social outcomes than individuals born at term. However, it remains unclear which subgroups of individuals born VPT are at greater risk of lower social functioning later in life. This study aimed to describe the medical, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and environmental risks in childhood for lower social functioning in early adulthood among young adults born VPT.

METHODS

Participants were assessed on social functioning domains at age 20 years (N = 123) and risk factors were assessed at birth (N = 224), 2 (N = 219) and 7 (N = 197) years of age in the Victorian Infant Brain Study longitudinal cohort. Differences in mean scores of social functioning outcomes and proportions with lower social functioning at 20 years between risk groups were estimated using generalized linear models. Multiple imputation was used to address missing data.

RESULTS

In childhood, greater behavioral and emotional problems, lower cognition, and higher sociodemographic risk were strongly associated with lower social functioning in all domains at age 20. Medical risk was weakly associated with social interaction and social adjustment at age 20.

CONCLUSIONS

Children born VPT with higher cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and sociodemographic risk have increased likelihood of lower social functioning in early adulthood than those without risk, and could benefit from receiving earlier support to scaffold the development of social skills.