Care Choices Under the Shadow of Trauma: Childhood Trauma, Care Preparation, and Preferences in Later Life.

BackgroundEarly-life experiences have a lasting impact on individual development and decision-making processes. Yet, the relationship between childhood trauma and care preferences in old age remains poorly understood.ObjectivesThis study aims to examine future care preferences from a life-course perspective, focusing on the mediating role of care preparation.MethodsData were used from the Panel Study of Ageing and Society (PAAS), comprising 5,007 participants aged 50 years and over in Hong Kong. Aging adults were first identified whether they have clear care preferences and then specified their preferences for formal and informal care.ResultsAging adults with greater exposure to childhood trauma are less likely to articulate care preferences. Among those who expressed care preferences, childhood trauma is associated with a higher likelihood of preferring formal care. The underlying pathways reveal that care preparation significantly mediated the associations between childhood trauma and care preferences.