18 years (n=4800)) at first antenatal visit with offspring psychological, behavioural and health characteristics when the offspring--the teenage children of teenage mothers--were aged 14 years. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the effect of maternal and family characteristics on associations between maternal age and childhood outcomes at age 14. Results show that the 14 year old offspring of mothers who were aged 18 years and younger compared to those who were offspring of older mothers were more likely to have disturbed psychological behaviour, poorer school performance, poorer reading ability, were more likely to have been in contact with the criminal justice system and were more likely to smoke regularly and to consume alcohol. However, maternal age was not associated with health outcomes in their offspring at age 14 years. Indicators of low socioeconomic position and maternal depression were also associated with poorer psychological, cognitive and behavioural outcomes among 14 year olds. In addition children from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and whose mothers were depressed were more likely to have self-reported poor health, asthma, to have been admitted to hospital twice or more since birth and to be bed-wetters at age 14. The associations between maternal age and psychological distress, school performance, and smoking and alcohol use were all largely explained by socioeconomic factors, maternal depression, family structure and maternal smoking. These findings confirm that not all teenage mothers and their offspring have adverse outcomes, and that many if not the majority have good outcomes."> 18 years (n=4800)) at first antenatal visit with offspring psychological, behavioural and health characteristics when the offspring--the teenage children of teenage mothers--were aged 14 years. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the effect of maternal and family characteristics on associations between maternal age and childhood outcomes at age 14. Results show that the 14 year old offspring of mothers who were aged 18 years and younger compared to those who were offspring of older mothers were more likely to have disturbed psychological behaviour, poorer school performance, poorer reading ability, were more likely to have been in contact with the criminal justice system and were more likely to smoke regularly and to consume alcohol. However, maternal age was not associated with health outcomes in their offspring at age 14 years. Indicators of low socioeconomic position and maternal depression were also associated with poorer psychological, cognitive and behavioural outcomes among 14 year olds. In addition children from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and whose mothers were depressed were more likely to have self-reported poor health, asthma, to have been admitted to hospital twice or more since birth and to be bed-wetters at age 14. The associations between maternal age and psychological distress, school performance, and smoking and alcohol use were all largely explained by socioeconomic factors, maternal depression, family structure and maternal smoking. These findings confirm that not all teenage mothers and their offspring have adverse outcomes, and that many if not the majority have good outcomes.">
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Teenage children of teenage mothers: Psychological, behavioural and health outcomes from an Australian prospective longitudinal study

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  • Shaw, Mary
  • Lawlor, Debbie A.
  • Najman, Jake M.
Abstract
In many industrialised countries teenage pregnancy and teenage parenthood have in recent years been identified as social and public health problems that need to be tackled. A number of studies have looked at various outcomes for teenage mothers and their offspring, and many report a strong association with poverty for the mother both before and after having a child. Few studies, however, adequately control for socioeconomic circumstances when examining health and related outcomes. Most studies have focused on perinatal outcomes in the offspring with few looking at later health and development. In Australia, where the rate of teenage pregnancy is relatively high compared to other comparable countries, teenage pregnancy is a not prominent policy concern. As such, Australia offers the opportunity to study the outcomes of teenage parenthood in a country where there may be less stigma than in countries that portray teenage parenthood as a major health and/or social problem. This paper reports findings from the Mater-University Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) and its outcomes, a prospective study of women, and their offspring, who received antenatal care at a major public hospital (Mater Misericordiae Hospital) in South Brisbane, Australia, between 1981 and 1984. We have examined the associations of maternal age ([less-than-or-equals, slant]18 years (n=460) versus >18 years (n=4800)) at first antenatal visit with offspring psychological, behavioural and health characteristics when the offspring--the teenage children of teenage mothers--were aged 14 years. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the effect of maternal and family characteristics on associations between maternal age and childhood outcomes at age 14. Results show that the 14 year old offspring of mothers who were aged 18 years and younger compared to those who were offspring of older mothers were more likely to have disturbed psychological behaviour, poorer school performance, poorer reading ability, were more likely to have been in contact with the criminal justice system and were more likely to smoke regularly and to consume alcohol. However, maternal age was not associated with health outcomes in their offspring at age 14 years. Indicators of low socioeconomic position and maternal depression were also associated with poorer psychological, cognitive and behavioural outcomes among 14 year olds. In addition children from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds and whose mothers were depressed were more likely to have self-reported poor health, asthma, to have been admitted to hospital twice or more since birth and to be bed-wetters at age 14. The associations between maternal age and psychological distress, school performance, and smoking and alcohol use were all largely explained by socioeconomic factors, maternal depression, family structure and maternal smoking. These findings confirm that not all teenage mothers and their offspring have adverse outcomes, and that many if not the majority have good outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Shaw, Mary & Lawlor, Debbie A. & Najman, Jake M., 2006. "Teenage children of teenage mothers: Psychological, behavioural and health outcomes from an Australian prospective longitudinal study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(10), pages 2526-2539, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:10:p:2526-2539
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    2. Jemimah Ride, 2019. "Is socioeconomic inequality in postnatal depression an early-life root of disadvantage for children?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(7), pages 1013-1027, September.
    3. Constance Shumba & Rose Maina & Gladys Mbuthia & Rachel Kimani & Stella Mbugua & Sweta Shah & Amina Abubakar & Stanley Luchters & Sheila Shaibu & Eunice Ndirangu, 2020. "Reorienting Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Hu, Nan & Li, Jianghong & Glauert, Rebecca A. & Taylor, Catherine L., 2017. "Influence of exposure to perinatal risk factors and parental mental health related hospital admission on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 26(7), pages 791-803.
    5. Anna Aizer & Paul J. Devereux & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2019. "Grandparents, Mothers, or Fathers? Why Children of Teen Mothers do Worse in Life," Working Papers 201908, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    6. Devon Gorry, 2023. "Consequences of Teenage Childbearing on Child Outcomes in the United States," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(1), pages 225-254, January.
    7. Günther Fink & Christopher R Sudfeld & Goodarz Danaei & Majid Ezzati & Wafaie W Fawzi, 2014. "Scaling-Up Access to Family Planning May Improve Linear Growth and Child Development in Low and Middle Income Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-9, July.
    8. Barry J. Milne & Roy Lay-Yee & Jessica M. Mc Lay & Janet Pearson & Martin von Randow & Peter Davis, 2015. "Modelling the Early life-course (MELC): A Microsimulation Model of Child Development in New Zealand," International Journal of Microsimulation, International Microsimulation Association, vol. 8(2), pages 28-60.
    9. Dylan Kneale & Ruth Lupton, 2010. "Are there neighbourhood effects on teenage parenthood in the UK, and does it matter for policy? A review of theory and evidence," CASE Papers case141, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    10. Hieu T. M. Nguyen & Blane D. Lewis, 2020. "Teenage Marriage and Motherhood in Vietnam: The Negative Effects of Starting School Early," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(4), pages 739-762, August.
    11. Basu, Shubhashrita & Gorry, Devon, 2021. "Consequences of teenage childbearing on child health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    12. Vaske, Jamie C. & Newsome, Jamie & Boisvert, Danielle L. & Piquero, Alex R. & Paradis, Angela D. & Buka, Stephen L., 2015. "The impact of low birth weight and maternal age on adulthood offending," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 49-56.
    13. Jessica Harding & Jean Knab & Susan Zief & Kevin Kelly & Diana McCallum, "undated". "A Systematic Review of Programs to Promote Aspects of Teen Parents’ Self-Sufficiency: Supporting Educational Outcomes and Healthy Birth Spacing," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 05e656f1b4a54dae83654795b, Mathematica Policy Research.
    14. Whitley, Rob & Kirmayer, Laurence J., 2008. "Perceived stigmatisation of young mothers: An exploratory study of psychological and social experience," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 339-348, January.
    15. Bettina Casad & Amy Marcus-Newhall & Brandon Nakawaki & Alian Kasabian & Judith LeMaster, 2012. "Younger Age at First Childbirth Predicts Mothers’ Lower Economic and Psychological Well-Being Later in Life," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 421-435, December.

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