# Childhood, Adolescence, and Covid-Related Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Adjustment in Early Adulthood Across Cultures

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $692,300

## Abstract

Abstract
Compared to adolescents or adults in mid-life, young adults are at higher risk of death and disease from a variety
of causes, most of which are preventable, such as mental health problems, substance use, sexually transmitted
infections, homicides, and motor vehicle accidents. Although early adulthood is an important period to
understand, little research has focused on cross-cultural heterogeneity in potential risk and protective factors
during early adulthood. The proposed research builds on the ongoing Parenting Across Cultures longitudinal
study that began in 2008 with recruitment of a sample of 1,417 8-year-old children and their mothers and fathers
from 9 countries (China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States).
We have since assessed families annually through interviews with children, mothers, and fathers about the
parent-child relationship, the child’s adjustment, attitudes and beliefs, and cultural values, with 90% retention of
the original sample. During the next project period, the original child participants will be 22 to 26 years old,
providing an unprecedented opportunity to understand how childhood and adolescent experiences in the most
diverse long-term longitudinal study ever conducted culminate in adjustment during early adulthood. We will
conduct interviews annually with young adults and their parents to assess family and cultural influences on
decisions, risks, competencies, and opportunities during this developmental period that is characterized by major
health risks and transitions in education, work, residential status, intimate partnerships, and parenthood.
We address three aims: (1) We will build a developmental model of young adult adjustment and maladjustment
using mediators and moderators at the individual, family, and culture levels, including potential risk and protective
factors. (2) We will examine predictors of parent-young adult relationships across cultures that normatively differ
in how changes in family relationships are experienced and negotiated in early adulthood. (3) We will examine
the impact of COVID-related disruptions in education, work, and other important domains on subsequent
adjustment. We have collected data on COVID-related experiences every 3 months since the start of the
pandemic, situating us well to be able to examine these experiences in relation to adjustment in the aftermath of
the pandemic. Addressing these aims in the most diverse, prospectively studied, multi-national sample to date
will have major public health implications in informing scientific understanding of predictors of adjustment during
early adulthood, a developmental period characterized by high morbidity and mortality due to mental health
problems, substance use, and other largely preventable causes, as well as opportunities for positive adaptation.
This work will inform programming and policy to improve population health and well-being by identifying novel
targets for p...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10440576
- **Project number:** 2R01HD054805-16
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer E Lansford
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $692,300
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2007-09-30 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440576

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10440576, Childhood, Adolescence, and Covid-Related Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Adjustment in Early Adulthood Across Cultures (2R01HD054805-16). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10440576. Licensed CC0.

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