Transmission of risk factors across three generations

The present study examined the association between the parent-grandmother r elationship, the parenting of toddlers, and toddlers' anger. Parent-grandmo ther relations were assessed when the parents were adolescents. Parent-todd ler relations were examined when the toddlers were two years of age. The sa mple consists of 185 2-yr.-old toddlers, one of the parents of each toddler , and the corresponding grand mother of each toddler. The findings support our hypothesis that there would be an indirect effect of the grandmothers' personalities and child-rearing practices on their grandchildren through th e influence of the grandmothers on the parents. The influence of both the g randmothers' and the parents' smoking behaviors on the toddlers' anger mas mediated by their child-rearing practices. The significance of the findings from a multigenerational study are discussed with reference to incorporati ng them into prevention programs. The findings are consistent with the noti on of the intergenerational transmission of risk factors-from grandparents to parents to toddlers.