Family Structure and Parents’ Health: Implications for the Reproduction of Health Inequality across Generations

Abstract

Early life disadvantage has enduring effects on health into adulthood. In this analysis, we are interested in the social reproduction of health inequality across generations within families. We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a representative sample of U.S. adolescents in grades 7–12 and their parents ( N = 11,171) interviewed during the 1994–1995 school year and followed into young adulthood. We investigate whether the intersection of family structure and parents’ health predicts poor health in early adulthood and several potential explanations for health continuity across generations. We also examine whether social mobility across generations changes the association between parent and child health. Results indicate an intergenerational persistence in health, net of childhood socioeconomic context, childhood health, educational attainment, and social mobility. Findings suggest that adult health reflects the transmission of resources and practices across generations within one’s family, reproducing health inequalities.

A study of the mechanism for intergenerational transmission of gender roles in single-parent families

“…The family microsystem has the most direct, initial, and powerful influences on cultivating children's gender roles [ 26 ]. In raising children, parents will pass on the characteristics of different genders to their children, including ideologies, behaviours and social norms, even decision-making, which form the phenomenon of intergenerational transmission [ [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] ]. Intergenerational transmission is the phenomenon whereby parents' abilities, ideas, behaviours, and social status are passed on to their children [ 31 ].…”

The magnitude and importance of perceived health dimensions define effective tailor-made health-promoting interventions per targeted socioeconomic group

“…Household size has likewise been shown to impact health ( 39 – 44 ). These studies refer to long-term detrimental effects of family SES on health, in the sense of low family income and parents as well as grandparents belonging to low SES groups ( 44 – 46 ). In larger families, mothers tend to stay at home caring for children, so these families have lower income than families where the mother is employed ( 41 – 43 , 45 , 46 ).…”

“…These studies refer to long-term detrimental effects of family SES on health, in the sense of low family income and parents as well as grandparents belonging to low SES groups ( 44 – 46 ). In larger families, mothers tend to stay at home caring for children, so these families have lower income than families where the mother is employed ( 41 – 43 , 45 , 46 ). By contrast, obesity in siblings living in larger households appears to be less common and is dependent on order of birth, as younger siblings tend to show higher odds of becoming obese ( 40 , 42 ).…”