Childhood nuclear family and adult health and well-being: Social support as mediator and moderator

This study examined associations between time spent in the childhood nuclear family and current health and wellness, and whether current social support mediated or moderated these associations. In our sample, 446 adults responded to scales on time in the childhood nuclear family (i. e., comprising two biological parents), current support (whether it is total, friends, family, or intimate partner support), life satisfaction, and selfreported health. Time in the childhood nuclear family was indirectly associated with better current health and life satisfaction through higher family support. Further, we found that support did not moderate associations between time in the childhood nuclear family and current adult outcomes, and early family experiences did not matter as fixed determinants of well-being, but within a broader relational system that unfolds across the life course.