Longitudinal impacts of housing instability and economic well-being on mental and physical health of mothers

• In Event: Infrastructure, Instability, and Health: Local Determinants of Community Well-Being

Abstract

Introduction/Background: Housing instability and low economic well-being significantly undermine health outcomes, particularly for mothers in vulnerable families. Frequent residential moves disrupt social networks, interrupt healthcare access, and elevate chronic stress levels, while poverty restricts opportunities for secure housing and essential resources. Although cross-sectional studies have identified these issues, few longitudinal analyses track the same families over extended periods to assess cumulative impacts. The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), a nationally representative cohort of urban families, offers a unique lens to examine these dynamics from early childhood through adolescence.
Purpose/Research Questions: This study investigates the relationships between housing instability (measured by maternal residential moves) and economic well-being (poverty ratio) with maternal mental health (depression) and physical health (self-rated health) in the FFCWS cohort, from child age 3 to 15. Key research questions include: (1) To what extent does frequent residential mobility predict increased odds of maternal depression over time, adjusting for socioeconomic factors? (2) How does the poverty ratio moderate the association between housing instability and self-rated health? (3) What role do racial/ethnic and educational differences play in these long-term health outcomes? The analysis aims to elucidate the cumulative effects of residential instability and income levels on mothers' health. Data and Methods: The sample comprises mothers followed across Waves 2-5 for national-weighted analyses (n=4,590) and Waves 2-4 for replicate-weighted analyses (n=3,500). Survey-weighted longitudinal models were employed, including logistic regression for depression. Models controlled for time, wave, race/ethnicity (e.g., White vs. Black or Hispanic), education (college degree vs. less than high school), age, poverty ratio, rent burden, moving frequency (3+ times vs. once), and marital status.
Results: In both models, moving three or more times was associated with significantly higher odds of depression (OR=1.8-2.2, p<0.01) compared to moving once. The replicate-weight model revealed Hispanic mothers had lower depression odds than White mothers (OR=0.75, p<0.05), while college-educated mothers had higher odds than those with less than high school education (OR=1.4, p<0.05). Poverty ratio amplified negative effects on self-rated health, with cumulative instability showing stronger links in low-income groups.
Conclusions: Frequent residential moves emerge as a potent risk factor for deteriorated maternal mental health, with implications for physical well-being. Policies aimed at stabilizing housing, such as eviction moratoria, rental assistance, and expanded affordable housing, could substantially enhance population health equity, particularly for economically disadvantaged and racially diverse mothers.

Keywords: housing instability; residential mobility; depression; self-rated health; poverty; survey weights; FFCWS.

Author

• Olumayowa Adeleke Idowu, Clemson University
  Presenting Author