Material hardship in the postpartum year: Links to child maltreatment

Millions of mothers with young children in the U.S. struggle to afford basic needs. Material hardships such as inadequate food, housing, and medical care increase risk for child maltreatment as mothers face heightened physical and emotional strain.

The present study applied a person-centered approach to understand unique subtypes of material hardship experienced by at-risk mothers in the postpartum year, and links from hardship subtypes to subsequent child maltreatment.

The sample included at-risk mothers who gave birth in one of 20 large American cities 1998-2000 and retained custody of their children at age 1 and 3 (N = 3966).

Latent class analysis (LCA) identified subtypes of material hardship; mean maltreatment scores were estimated across classes.

LCA identified four hardship subtypes with differential risks for maltreatment. Compared to "Stable" mothers, "Cost-Burdened" mothers - who displayed high levels of missed rent and utility payments - were significantly more likely to psychological abuse (χ^{2 =} 5.04, p < 0.05) or neglect (χ^{2 =} 4.46, p < 0.05) their children. "Severely Housing Insecure Mothers" - characterized by elevated rates of doubling up, eviction, and homelessness - were significantly more likely to engage in physical assault (χ^{2 =} 16.25, p < 0.001), psychological aggression (χ^{2 =} 11.15, p < 0.01), and neglect (χ^{2 =} 17.55, p < 0.001).

Difficulty maintaining stable and affordable housing is associated with elevated risk of child maltreatment. Efforts to prevent child maltreatment must incorporate access to housing screening and supports, particularly among families with infants.