Le. Montgomery et al., THE EFFECTS OF POVERTY, RACE, AND FAMILY-STRUCTURE ON US CHILDRENS HEALTH - DATA FROM THE NHIS, 1978 THROUGH 1980 AND 1989 THROUGH 1991, American journal of public health, 86(10), 1996, pp. 1401-1405
Objectives. This study investigated the independent and relative effec
ts of family structure, race, and poverty on the health of US children
and youth under 20 years of age at two time periods, 1978 through 198
0 and 1989 through 1991.Method. Data were from the National Health Int
erview Surveys. Multivariate logit regression methods were used to ana
lyze the effects of family structure, poverty, and race on children's
health. Results. Children in families headed by single mothers, Black
children, and those living below 150% of the poverty index were much m
ore likely to be in poor or fair health than children in two-parent fa
milies, White children, or those in more affluent families. Poverty ha
d the strongest effect on child health in both time periods. Conclusio
ns. The association between children's health and living below 150% of
the poverty index is not-explained by race or family structure. The d
isparity in child health by family income has serious consequences for
both the child and society.