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Pathways to Wellbeing among Teenage Mothers in Great Britain

Gender Equality Symposium

Cambridge, March 2009

Elzbieta Polek & Ingrid SchoonInstitute of EducationLondon

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Teenage Motherhood The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy

in Western Europe; In 2003 almost 60,000 babies were born to teenage

girls in England and Wales; This represents roughly 10% of all the babies born

that year; The proportion of women becoming teenage

mothers has not changed much among cohorts born since the 1960s.

(Kirnan, 1997; www.action.org.uk)

Teenage Motherhood in Europe

3Source: UNICEF: Innocenti Report Card, Issue No. 3, 2001

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Antecedents of Teenage Motherhood

Teenage motherhood is associated with problematic childhood and is often a repetition of intergenerational scenario: daughters of teenaged mothers become teenage

mothers themselves; social disadvantage; low education; family disruption; low parenting skills, low psychological health of

mothers and children.

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Teenage Motherhood as a Social Problem

Teenage motherhood is associated with adjustment problems later in life: psychological distress of mothers and children; socio-economic disadvantage; exclusion from paid labour; welfare dependence.

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Wellbeing of Teenage Mothers Factors promoting well-being among teenage

mothers: Return to education; Attachment to the labour market; Stable relationship;

Yet, there is little understanding of the pathways leading to successful transition experiences.

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Aims of the study First, we want to examine the antecedents

and pathways to wellbeing among teenage mothers, in order to answer the question: what helps them to avoid repetition of the intergenerational scenario of destitution?

Second, we want to examine a link between economic independence and psychological wellbeing of teenage mothers.

Method Analysis of the longitudinal data from 2

generations of women: the sample of 738 teenage mothers and their mothers;

Using Mplus 5 we performed pathway analysis with probit regressions based on robust weighted least squares estimation;

Next, we carried out ANOVA comparing the psychological wellbeing of welfare-dependent teenage mothers and those independent from social welfare.

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Data Source and Sample

British Cohort Study (BCS1970) Continuing longitudinal study of all children born

in one week in April 1970; Followed from birth to age 34; At age 30 - 5738 female respondents; Sample used in the present study:

738 teenage mothers (13% of all female respondents in BCS1970).

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Variables Included in the Model(Predictors) Family background:

Teenage motherhood (generation 1); Mother’s education (generation 1); Relationship status (generation 1); Family cohesion (family of origin);

Individual characteristics: General cognitive abilities (generation 2, age 10); School motivation (generation 2, age 16)

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Variables Included in the Model(Outcomes)

Transition experiences between age 16 and 29: Highest qualifications obtained (generation 2); Time spend in employment (generation 2); Stable relationship (generation 2);

Wellbeing in adulthood, age 30: Independence from welfare (generation 2); Satisfaction with life (generation 2); Psychological wellbeing (the Malaise Inventory,

generation 2).

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Pathway Model Linking Social Background to Transition Experiences

Mother’s education generation 1

Family cohesion family of origin,age 16

Teenage motherhoodgeneration 1

School motivation generqation 2, age 16

Cognitive abilities generqation 2, age 10

Relationship statusgeneration 2

Time spend in employmentgenerqation 2, age 16-29

Academic & vocational qualifications generqation 2, age 16-29

Independence from social welfare generation 2,age16-29

Relationship statusgeneration 1

Estimated Pathways Linking Social Background to Transition Experiences

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Mother’s education generation 1

Family cohesion family of origin

Teenage motherhoodgeneration 1

School motivation generation 2, age 16

Cognitive abilities generqation 2, age 10

Relationship statusgeneration 2

Time spend in employmentgeneration 2, age 16-29

Academic & vocational qualifications generation2, age 16-29

Independence from social welfare generation 2,age16-29

-.14*

.06

-.08*

.08

.12** .40**

-0.18*

.34**

.26**

.15*.41**

.44**

.32**.18**

.13**

.11*

.31**

.01

-.12

Relationship statusgeneration 1

-.08

.02

.16*-.02

-.17**

.02

.04

.04

χ2 = 26.04, df = 15, p = 0.04CFI = 0.968RMSA = 0.032

Standardized coefficients: **p < .001, *p < .05

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Life Satisfaction among Teenage Mothers (generation 2)

66,26,46,66,8

77,27,4

welfaredependent

independencefrom welfare

life satisfaction

ANOVA: F (1,722) = 30.49, p <.000, η = .041

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Malaise among Teenage Mothers (generation 2)

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4,2

4,4

4,6

4,8

5

5,2

5,4

5,6

5,8

welfare dependant

independence from welfare

ANOVA: F (1,723) = 22.08, p <.001, η = .030

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Main Findings

Economic wellbeing among teenage mothers is influenced mainly by: Attachment to the labour market; Stable relationship.

Independence from social welfare is a proxy for life satisfaction and psychological wellbeing among teenage mothers;

Some unfavourable characteristics of the family of origin (teenage motherhood or parental divorce) do not have to be detrimental for child development, if parents give attention to a child and engage in joint parent-child activities.

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Policy Implications (1)

Importance of parent-child interactions for school motivation and stable relationship in adulthood

→ Need to create opportunities for family activities;→ Too little attention to emotional needs of

young families in current polices.

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Policy Implications (2)

Importance of school motivation: Motivated teenagers :

More likely to continue with education; More attached to the labour market;

Yet, bright young women disengaged from school

→ Need to raise interest and engagement in school.

Thank you for your attention! e.polek@ioe.ac.uki.schoon@ioe.ac.uk

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