Socioeconomic Strain, Family Ties, and Adolescent Health in a Rural Northeastern County

Abstract

In adolescence, vital sources of support come from family relationships; however, research that considers the health‐related impact of ties to both parents and siblings is sparse, and the utility of such ties among at‐risk teens is not well understood. Here we use two waves of panel data from the population of 8th and 12th grade students in a geographically isolated, rural, northeastern U.S. county to assess whether socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the effects of parental and sibling attachments on three indicators of adolescent health: obesity, depression, and problem substance use. Our findings indicate that, net of stressful life events, prior health, and sociodemographic controls, increases in parental and sibling attachment correspond with reduced odds of obesity for low‐SES adolescents, reduced odds of depression for high‐SES adolescents, and reduced odds of problem substance use for low‐SES adolescents. Results suggest also that sibling and maternal ties are more influential than paternal ties, at least with regard to the outcomes considered. Overall, the findings highlight the value of strong family ties for the physical, psychological, and behavioral health of socioeconomically strained rural teens, and reveal the explanatory potential of both sibling and parental ties for adolescent health.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Substance Use and Misuse among Kosovar Adolescents; Cross Sectional Study of Scholastic, Familial-, and Sports-Related Factors of Influence

“…Although frequently studied, we did not find that socioeconomic status (SES) was systematically associated with SUM in adolescents. Some researchers have reported a higher prevalence of SUM in low-SES children, whereas others found a decreased likelihood of SUM in children of lower SES [ 37 , 38 , 39 ]. Additionally, in some cases, researchers reported gender-specific or racial/ethnic associations between SES and SUM [ 13 , 40 ].…”

Family Relationships and Well-Being

“…Although there is less research in this area, family scholars have noted variations in sibling relationships and their effects by race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Lower socioeconomic status has been associated with reports of feeling less attached to siblings and this influences several outcomes such as obesity, depression, and substance use ( Van Gundy et al, 2015 ). Fewer socioeconomic resources can also limit the amount of care siblings provide ( Eriksen & Gerstel, 2002 ).…”

Alternative Food Networks and the Labor of Food Provisioning: A Third Shift?

“…These findings support the notion that a third shift could influence the well‐being of women engaging in AFNs, and provide justification for examining the physical labor of food provisioning for women engaged in AFNs. Finally, scholars emphasizing both the positive and negative outcomes of multiple roles assert that strain with multiple roles can be more pronounced for women with lower SES (Ahrens and Ryff ; Van Gundy et al ). Therefore, women with lower SES may be more likely to have their well‐being compromised as they engage in AFNs as food provisioners.…”

“… SES captures various dimensions of social position, including prestige, power, and economic well‐being (Van Gundy et al ). SES inequality has grown in recent decades and remains an important focus in sociological scholarship (Bailey ).…”