Educational Pathways to Health: Early Life Family Environment as a Moderator Across Racial/Ethnic Groups

• In Event: 21020 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 22: The Role of Family, Health, and Parental Engagement in Education and Well-Being

Abstract

This study examines how early life family environments moderate the relationship between educational attainment and cardiometabolic risk (CMR) across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we focus on three key family factors: parental education, family socioeconomic status (SES), and parental involvement in education. Our findings reveal that advantaged family environments amplify the health benefits of higher education, though the magnitude of these benefits varies by racial/ethnic group. Specifically, White and foreign-born Hispanic respondents experience stronger protective effects of education on CMR, while Black respondents face systemic barriers that constrain these benefits. The differences in these relationships highlight the complex interplay between family background, educational attainment, and health outcomes across diverse populations. The study underscores the importance of family context in shaping health trajectories and highlights the need for targeted interventions to reduce racial health disparities, particularly those that address both structural inequities and supportive family environments.

Authors

• Haiyi Cheng, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

• Wendy Yiqing Chao, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University