Related Experiment Videos
Intergenerational transmission of school-age parenthood
S M Horwitz1, L V Klerman, H S Kuo
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine.
Family Planning Perspectives
|July 1, 1991
Summary
Most children born to young mothers in the late 1960s did not become parents by age 19. Early parenthood was linked to being female, depressive symptoms, and maternal depression.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Examining the long-term outcomes for offspring of adolescent mothers.
- Understanding intergenerational patterns of early parenthood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of early parenthood among offspring of young mothers.
- To identify risk factors associated with early parenthood in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal follow-up study of Black women and their offspring.
- Data collection on offspring's parental status, mental health, and family environment.
Main Results:
- The majority of offspring did not become parents by age 19.
- Offspring who became parents early were more likely to be female and report depressive symptoms.
- Early parenthood was associated with maternal depression and early offspring-initiated household separation.
Conclusions:
- Emotional deprivation may increase the risk of adolescent sexual activity and early parenthood.
- Early life experiences, including maternal mental health, significantly influence offspring's reproductive outcomes.