Impulsive children may have self-control issues as adults, according to study

By Staff Writer

Lack of self-control may be an issue that appears as early as childhood. According to researchers from Duke University, kids who score low on measures of self-control are more likely to experience social and behavioral problems as adults.

For the study, researchers followed more than 1,000 people in New Zealand from age 3 to 32. They measured characteristics such as low frustration tolerance, lack of persistence in reaching goals, difficulty sticking with a task, over-activity and restlessness.

In adulthood, the researchers measured breathing problems, gum disease, sexually transmitted diseases, inflammation, weight gain, cholesterol and blood pressure.

The study results show that kids who demonstrated impulsiveness and a relative inability to think about long-term goals or concepts were more likely to experience problems with health, finances, relationships, criminal activity and drug, tobacco or alcohol use as adults.

However, those who improved their self-control with age were able to prevent some of the serious problems experienced by their impulsive peers. As a result, the researchers suggest that self-control can be taught.

They recommend that helping children and teens learn techniques to improve their impulsiveness may save taxpayers money on healthcare, criminal justice and substance abuse programs.