Maternal Incarceration and Adolescent Health Risk Behavior Patterns: Exploring Gender and Racial Differences

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

Research suggests that adolescents exposed to maternal incarceration have higher odds of being classified into more severe health risk behavior patterns than those without such experiences. However, the potentially heterogeneous effect of maternal imprisonment on adolescents with distinct individual characteristics remains underinvestigated. This study used data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the moderating effect of adolescent gender and racial background on the association between maternal incarceration and adolescent health risk behavior patterns. Findings suggest that the interaction terms were not significant in predicting health risk behavior patterns, except for some trends toward significance worth noting. Specifically, Black adolescents with maternal incarceration experiences trended toward lower odds, and Hispanic and multiracial or other adolescents trended toward higher odds of being classified as having “high insomnia risk behavior” than “high dietary risk behavior” compared to their White counterparts. Additionally, multiracial or other adolescents with maternal incarceration experiences trended toward higher odds of being classified as having “high health risk behavior” than “high dietary risk behavior” compared to their White peers. Discussed are the implications for effective and tailored prevention efforts targeting the health risk behavioral clustering of adolescents with different racial backgrounds.

Author

• Qianwei Zhao, Baylor University