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The role of inflammation in the association between poverty and working memory in childhood

Theodora Kokosi1, Eirini Flouri1, Emily Midouhas1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|November 16, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Financial difficulties in early childhood are linked to poorer working memory later on. This connection is partly explained by inflammation, a physiological response to financial strain affecting cognitive development.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Family financial difficulties are linked to reduced executive functioning in children.
  • Emerging research suggests indirect pathways, including physiological ones like inflammation, mediate this relationship.
  • Inflammation is associated with both financial strain and executive function deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if inflammation explains the association between early family financial difficulties and working memory in middle childhood.
  • To examine the role of inflammation as a mediator in the link between financial hardship and cognitive development.
  • To explore the impact of early life financial strain on children's executive functions via inflammatory pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 4,525 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort.
  • Assessed parental financial difficulties (affording necessities) at ages 0-3 years.
  • Measured children's inflammation (IL-6, CRP) at age 9 and working memory at age 10, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Financial difficulties at ages 0-3 years were associated with worse working memory at age 10 (β=-0.076).
  • This association was partially mediated by inflammation, specifically IL-6 (β=-0.002).
  • Results were adjusted for socioeconomic status, economic hardship, BMI, and gender.

Conclusions:

  • Early childhood financial difficulties are associated with higher inflammation levels in children.
  • Inflammation partially mediates the negative impact of financial strain on children's working memory.
  • Financial strain uniquely affects cognitive development through inflammation in the general population.
Abstract

Keywords:
ALSPACChildhoodIL-6InflammationSESWorking memory

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