Early Life Conditions and Adolescent Sexual Orientation: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Early Life Conditions and Adolescent Sexual Orientation

T2 - A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

AU - Xu, Yin

AU - Norton, Sam

AU - Rahman, Qazi

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - This study tested the association between multiple prenatal and postnatal early life factors and adolescent sexual orientation in a longitudinal birth cohort. Factors included birthweight, gestational age, parental ages at birth, number of older brothers and sisters, breastfeeding, maternal anxiety/depression, family socioeconomic position, parent-child relationships, parental absences, pubertal body mass index, and housing issues. We used data on 5007 youth from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Sexual orientation was assessed using a 5-point scale of sexual attraction at 15.5 years. Early life factors were separated into three developmental periods: prenatal (n = 9), before 7 years (n = 5), and after 7 years (n = 5). We controlled for childhood gender nonconformity (GNCB), handedness, and digit ratio as markers of prenatal androgen exposure. GNCB was strongly associated with later male and female nonheterosexuality, and higher right-hand digit ratio was associated with later male nonheterosexuality. Boys with low birthweight and shorter breastfeeding duration were more likely to have a later nonheterosexual orientation. Boys with parental absence before 7 years of age were more likely to be nonheterosexual, but this effect disappeared after entering all early life history factors. Parental absence since birth, low prenatal family socioeconomic position, and poorer parent-child relationship were associated with later nonheterosexuality among girls. The results are discussed in the context of a life history framework for understanding human sexual orientation development in males

AB - This study tested the association between multiple prenatal and postnatal early life factors and adolescent sexual orientation in a longitudinal birth cohort. Factors included birthweight, gestational age, parental ages at birth, number of older brothers and sisters, breastfeeding, maternal anxiety/depression, family socioeconomic position, parent-child relationships, parental absences, pubertal body mass index, and housing issues. We used data on 5007 youth from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Sexual orientation was assessed using a 5-point scale of sexual attraction at 15.5 years. Early life factors were separated into three developmental periods: prenatal (n = 9), before 7 years (n = 5), and after 7 years (n = 5). We controlled for childhood gender nonconformity (GNCB), handedness, and digit ratio as markers of prenatal androgen exposure. GNCB was strongly associated with later male and female nonheterosexuality, and higher right-hand digit ratio was associated with later male nonheterosexuality. Boys with low birthweight and shorter breastfeeding duration were more likely to have a later nonheterosexual orientation. Boys with parental absence before 7 years of age were more likely to be nonheterosexual, but this effect disappeared after entering all early life history factors. Parental absence since birth, low prenatal family socioeconomic position, and poorer parent-child relationship were associated with later nonheterosexuality among girls. The results are discussed in the context of a life history framework for understanding human sexual orientation development in males

KW - ALSPAC

KW - Birth weight

KW - Gender nonconformity

KW - Life history

KW - Sexual orientation

KW - Homosexuality

KW - Cohort study

KW - LGBTQ+

KW - Lesbian, gay, bisexual

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061489515&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/dev0000704

DO - 10.1037/dev0000704

M3 - Article

C2 - 30762413

AN - SCOPUS:85061489515

SN - 0012-1649

VL - 55

SP - 1226

EP - 1243

JO - Developmental Psychology

JF - Developmental Psychology

IS - 6

ER -