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Poverty and Disadvantage throughout Childhood in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Paul Hartley

    (Columbia University)

  • Lauren Toppenberg

    (Columbia University)

  • Shatakshee Dhongde

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Abstract

We analyze measures of socioeconomic disadvantage over the course of childhood in the United States. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we estimate the proportion of childhood spent in income poverty, low food spending, and multidimensional disadvantage from 1998 to 2018, as well as the degree to which these measures coincide. We also report associations between correlates of childhood disadvantage and early adulthood implications for health and education. On average, one-fifth of childhood is characterized by some socioeconomic disadvantage. 10% of all children spend at least half of their childhood in poverty, and the 10% most persistently disadvantaged Black children spend at least 85% of their childhood in poverty. Childhood disadvantage has strong negative associations with continuing education, both at the extensive and intensive margins of exposure, and a broader classification of childhood disadvantage is suggestive of negative health outcomes in early adulthood, as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Paul Hartley & Lauren Toppenberg & Shatakshee Dhongde, 2024. "Poverty and Disadvantage throughout Childhood in the United States," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(6), pages 2709-2737, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:17:y:2024:i:6:d:10.1007_s12187-024-10181-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-024-10181-y
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Poverty; Hardship; Multidimensional; Mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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