Dataset Information

Parental incarceration and child physical health outcomes from infancy to adulthood: A critical review and multilevel model of potential pathways.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are currently 2.2 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails, representing a 500% increase over the past 40 years. An emerging literature suggests the impact of mass incarceration extends beyond the prison, jail, or detention center to the families of incarcerated individuals. Less scholarship has considered consequences of parental incarceration for their children's physical health.

Methods

We conduct a critical review of the literature investigating an association between parental incarceration and children's physical health outcomes from infancy to adulthood.

Results

Studies varied substantially in study design, sample composition, and methodological approach. Most studies suggest an association between parental incarceration and adverse physical health outcomes. Evidence is more consistent for outcomes such as infant and child mortality, lower healthcare access, and negative health behaviors and more mixed for measures such as self-reported/general health.

Conclusion

We propose a multilevel model of mechanistic pathways to stimulate future research on the potential pathways through which parental incarceration could influence children's physical health.

SUBMITTER: Austin MK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9016086 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Parental incarceration and child physical health outcomes from infancy to adulthood: A critical review and multilevel model of potential pathways.

Austin Makeda K MK White Inez M IM Kim Andrew Wooyoung AW

American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council 20211019 5

<h4>Background</h4>There are currently 2.2 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails, representing a 500% increase over the past 40 years. An emerging literature suggests the impact of mass incarceration extends beyond the prison, jail, or detention center to the families of incarcerated individuals. Less scholarship has considered consequences of parental incarceration for their children's physical health.<h4>Methods</h4>We conduct a critical review of the literature investigating a ...[more]

PMID: 34665892

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Project description:ImportanceIn 2016, an estimated 8% of US children younger than 18 years had experienced the incarceration of a parent, and rates were substantially higher among children from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds and disadvantaged groups. Little is known about whether parental incarceration during childhood is associated with adult psychiatric problems and functional outcomes.ObjectiveTo examine whether parental incarceration is associated with increased levels of psychiatric diagnosis and poor outcomes in health, legal, financial, and social domains in adulthood.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used data from the community-representative, prospective, longitudinal Great Smoky Mountains Study. Children and their parents were interviewed up to 8 times from January 1993 to December 2000 (ages 9-16 years; 6674 observations of 1420 participants) using the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment, which assessed parental incarceration, childhood psychiatric diagnoses, and other adversities. Young adults were followed up at ages 19, 21, 25, and 30 years from January 1999 to December 2015 (4556 observations of 1334 participants) to assess psychiatric diagnoses and functional outcomes indicative of a disrupted transition to adulthood. Data analysis was conducted from June 2018 to June 2019.ResultsBy age 16 years, 475 participants (weighted percentage, 23.9%) had a parental figure who had been incarcerated, including 259 young men (22.2%) and 216 young women (25.5%). Parental incarceration was associated with higher prevalence of childhood psychiatric diagnoses (eg, any depressive diagnosis: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.5; 95% CI, 1.3-4.6; P = .006; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0-5.5; P = .06; and conduct disorder: aOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.4-4.3; P = .001). After accounting for childhood psychiatric diagnoses and adversity exposure, parental incarceration remained associated with increased odds of having an adult anxiety disorder (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-3.0; P = .04), having an illicit drug use disorder (aOR, 6.6; 95% CI, 2.6-17.0; P < .001), having a felony charge (aOR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.8-6.5; P < .001), incarceration (aOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.4; P = .003), not completing high school (aOR, 4.4; 95% CI, 2.2-8.8; P < .001), early parenthood (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-3.0; P = .04), and being socially isolated (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0; P = .009).Conclusions and relevanceThis study suggests that parental incarceration is associated with a broad range of psychiatric, legal, financial, and social outcomes during young adulthood. Parental incarceration is a common experience that may perpetuate disadvantage from generation to generation.

Dataset Information

Parental incarceration and child physical health outcomes from infancy to adulthood: A critical review and multilevel model of potential pathways.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Parental incarceration and child physical health outcomes from infancy to adulthood: A critical review and multilevel model of potential pathways.

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