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Late-Life Health Effects of Teenage Motherhood

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  • Angelini, V.
  • Mierau, J. O.

Abstract

We study the causal impact of teenage motherhood on late-life health outcomes, using a retrospective survey of almost 12,000 women from 13 European countries containing detailed information on early-life circumstances. We find that, compared to other women, teenage mothers experience substantially lower self-reported latelife health and are more likely to display depressive symptoms. This effect is robust to controlling for early-life factors, both parametrically and through propensity score matching, and is unlikely to be driven by selection on unobservables. Studying potential transmission mechanisms by which teenage motherhood translates into adverse late-life health highlights the importance of life-cycle socio-economic conditions and societal values.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelini, V. & Mierau, J. O., 2015. "Late-Life Health Effects of Teenage Motherhood," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 15/09, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    • Handle: RePEc:yor:hectdg:15/09
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    Cited by:

    1. Viola Angelini & Jochen Mierau, 2018. "Late-life health effects of teenage motherhood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(41), pages 1081-1104.
    2. Wolfe, Joseph D. & Thomeer, Mieke Beth & Reczek, Rin, 2023. "Age at first birth and women's midlife health: Cohort and race differences across the 20th century," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    3. Elena Ierardi & Alessandro Albizzati & Margherita Moioli & Cristina Riva Crugnola, 2022. "Psychopathological and Psychosocial Risk Profile, Styles of Interaction and Mentalization of Adolescent and Young Mother–Infant Dyads," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Anne Juberg & Turid Midjo & Halvor Fauske, 2020. "Motherhood in Context—Life Course Interviews with Young Mothers in Contact with Child Welfare," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-16, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    teenage motherhood; self-reported health; depression; retrospective data; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination

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