Childhood adversity and educational attainment: Evidence from Zambia on the role of personality.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

We examine whether personality traits mediate the association between childhood adversity and educational attainment using longitudinal data from a cohort in Zambia.

Methods

We fit a structural equation model using data on three forms of childhood adversity-household poverty, stunting as a measure of chronic malnutrition, and death of a parent-and data on the "Big Five" personality traits and educational attainment assessed at 15 years of age.

Results

We find that childhood poverty and death of a parent are associated with lower openness to experience. Furthermore, openness to experience mediates 93% of the negative association between death of a parent and school enrollment and 19% of the negative association between childhood poverty and enrollment.

SUBMITTER: Rockers PC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9912843 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature