Jufen Liu1,2, Michikazu Sekine2, Takashi Tatsuse2, Yuko Fujimura2, Shimako Hamanishi2, Xiaoying Zheng3. 1. Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, Ministry of Health Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Peking University. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan. 3. Institute of Population Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although the sibling relationship is a unique one, the effects of the number and type of siblings on mental health among adolescents have not been reported. METHODS: Japanese children (total, 9276; boys, 4654; girls, 4622), all 12 years old, and from the Japanese Toyama Birth Cohort Study, were followed up until 2002. Subject self-reported mental health was obtained from the Japanese version of the Dartmouth Primary Care Co-operative Project (COOP) charts. The associations between number and type of siblings and self-reported mental health were examined. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mental health between different sibling pairs, with brother pairs and brother/sister pairs having a positive effect on adolescent mental health, compared with those in sister pairs. Girls with brothers had better self-reported mental health than those without. The adjusted OR of good mental health was 1.44 (95%CI:1.00-2.08) for those with an older brother and 1.67 (95%CI: 1.17-2.38) for those with a younger brother compared with those without. Boys with a younger sister had a higher OR of good self-reported health than those without (OR, 1.62; 95%CI: 1.08-2.43). CONCLUSIONS: Children with siblings had better mental health status than those without, which has practical implications for Asian countries and worldwide considering the declining fertility.
BACKGROUND: Although the sibling relationship is a unique one, the effects of the number and type of siblings on mental health among adolescents have not been reported. METHODS: Japanese children (total, 9276; boys, 4654; girls, 4622), all 12 years old, and from the Japanese Toyama Birth Cohort Study, were followed up until 2002. Subject self-reported mental health was obtained from the Japanese version of the Dartmouth Primary Care Co-operative Project (COOP) charts. The associations between number and type of siblings and self-reported mental health were examined. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in mental health between different sibling pairs, with brother pairs and brother/sister pairs having a positive effect on adolescent mental health, compared with those in sister pairs. Girls with brothers had better self-reported mental health than those without. The adjusted OR of good mental health was 1.44 (95%CI:1.00-2.08) for those with an older brother and 1.67 (95%CI: 1.17-2.38) for those with a younger brother compared with those without. Boys with a younger sister had a higher OR of good self-reported health than those without (OR, 1.62; 95%CI: 1.08-2.43). CONCLUSIONS:Children with siblings had better mental health status than those without, which has practical implications for Asian countries and worldwide considering the declining fertility.