The health of lone mothers

This article focuses on differences in the health status and health care utilization patterns of mothers in two-parent families, women who recently became lone parents, and women who had been lone parents for a longer period. Changes in the health of these women and their health care use over time are also explored.

The findings are based on the longitudinal component of the first two cycles (1994/95 and 1996/97) of the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). The sample analyzed consisted of 1,805 women in the 10 provinces who had at least one child younger than 18 at home.

Measures of self-reported health status and health care use for the three types of mothers were compared, using unadjusted and adjusted means. Multiple regression models were used to determine if lone motherhood was significantly associated with measures of health status and health care utilization after accounting for selected factors.

Lone mothers generally had poorer health status than mothers in two-parent families, as measured by self-reported health, happiness, and distress scores. Between the first two cycles of the NPHS, the health status of longer-term lone mothers did not improve significantly. No differences were found on measures of health care utilization.