Does parental unemployment affect adolescents' health?

To explore the associations between mother's and father's employment status separately and together and the subjective health of children; and how parental education and financial strain can modify these associations.

Data were obtained from 2836 respondents aged 14 to 22 years (mean age 17.7 years). Logistic regression models were used with three subjective health indicators: self-rated health, long-standing illness, and health complaints; and ANOVA with one indicator: long-term well-being. Father's and mother's employment status was coded as follows: employed, short-term unemployed (less than one year), long-term unemployed (more than one year), and parental employment status as follows: both employed, one unemployed and both unemployed. All analyses were done separately for males and females.

Father's long-term unemployment was a significant predictor of moderate self-rated health and low long-term well-being among males and females. Mother's long-term unemployment was negatively associated with self-rated health of females and long-standing illness among males. No associations between father's or mother's unemployment and occurrence of health complaints or between short-term unemployment and worse health of children were found. Unemployment of both parents negatively influenced self-rated health of both genders and long-term well-being of females. After including parental education and financial strain in the model, the negative effect of father's and mother's long-term unemployment on health remained significant. However, influence of unemployment of both parents on health disappeared after adjusting for these variables.

Parental long-term unemployment (especially of fathers) is negatively associated with adolescents' subjective health, and this association remains even when the social class and financial strain is taken into account.