Pathways to Wellbeing among
Teenage Mothers in Great Britain
Elzbieta Polek & Ingrid Schoon
Institute of Education
London
Gender Equality Symposium
Cambridge, March 2009
1
Teenage Motherhood




The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy
in Western Europe;
In 2003 almost 60,000 babies were born to teenage
girls in England and Wales;
This represents roughly 10% of all the babies born
that year;
The proportion of women becoming teenage
mothers has not changed much among cohorts born
since the 1960s.
(Kirnan, 1997; www.action.org.uk)
2
Teenage Motherhood in Europe
Source: UNICEF: Innocenti Report Card, Issue No. 3, 2001
3
Antecedents of Teenage Motherhood

Teenage motherhood is associated with
problematic childhood and is often a repetition of
intergenerational scenario:





daughters of teenaged mothers become teenage
mothers themselves;
social disadvantage;
low education;
family disruption;
low parenting skills, low psychological health of
mothers and children.
4
Teenage Motherhood
as a Social Problem

Teenage motherhood is associated with
adjustment problems later in life:




psychological distress of mothers and children;
socio-economic disadvantage;
exclusion from paid labour;
welfare dependence.
5
Wellbeing of Teenage Mothers

Factors promoting well-being among teenage
mothers:




Return to education;
Attachment to the labour market;
Stable relationship;
Yet, there is little understanding of the
pathways leading to successful transition
experiences.
6
Aims of the study

First, we want to examine the antecedents
and pathways to wellbeing among teenage
mothers, in order to answer the question:
what helps them to avoid repetition of the
intergenerational scenario of destitution?

Second, we want to examine a link between
economic independence and psychological
wellbeing of teenage mothers.
7
Method



Analysis of the longitudinal data from 2
generations of women: the sample of 738
teenage mothers and their mothers;
Using Mplus 5 we performed pathway
analysis with probit regressions based on
robust weighted least squares estimation;
Next, we carried out ANOVA comparing the
psychological wellbeing of welfare-dependent
teenage mothers and those independent from
social welfare.
8
Data Source and Sample

British Cohort Study (BCS1970)




Continuing longitudinal study of all children born
in one week in April 1970;
Followed from birth to age 34;
At age 30 - 5738 female respondents;
Sample used in the present study:
738 teenage mothers (13% of all female
respondents in BCS1970).
9
Variables Included in the Model
(Predictors)

Family background:





Teenage motherhood (generation 1);
Mother’s education (generation 1);
Relationship status (generation 1);
Family cohesion (family of origin);
Individual characteristics:


General cognitive abilities (generation 2, age 10);
School motivation (generation 2, age 16)
10
Variables Included in the Model
(Outcomes)

Transition experiences between age 16 and 29:




Highest qualifications obtained (generation 2);
Time spend in employment (generation 2);
Stable relationship (generation 2);
Wellbeing in adulthood, age 30:



Independence from welfare (generation 2);
Satisfaction with life (generation 2);
Psychological wellbeing (the Malaise Inventory,
generation 2).
11
Pathway Model Linking Social Background
to Transition Experiences
Mother’s
education
generation 1
Cognitive abilities
generqation 2,
age 10
Teenage
motherhood
generation 1
Relationship
status
generation 1
Academic &
vocational
qualifications
generqation 2,
age 16-29
School motivation
generqation 2,
age 16
Time spend in
employment
generqation 2,
age 16-29
Family cohesion
family of origin,
age 16
Relationship
status
generation 2
Independence
from social
welfare
generation 2,
age16-29
12
Estimated Pathways Linking Social Background
to Transition Experiences
.04
Mother’s
education
.12**
Cognitive abilities
Academic &
vocational
qualifications
.40**
generqation 2, age 10
generation 1
generation2, age 16-29
.01
.02
.34**
.08
.32**
.13**
.18**
-0.18*
-.08
-.08*
School motivation
generation 2,
age 16
.15*
Time spend in
employment
.41**
generation 2, age 16-29
generation 2,
age16-29
.11*
.26**
-.14*
Independence
from social
welfare
.44**
-.12
Teenage
motherhood
generation 1
Family cohesion
family of origin
.06
-.02
-.17**
Relationship
status
generation 1
.31**
Relationship
status
generation 2
.16*
.02
.04
Standardized coefficients: **p < .001, *p < .05
χ2 = 26.04, df = 15,
p = 0.04
CFI = 0.968
RMSA = 0.032
13
Life Satisfaction among
Teenage Mothers (generation 2)
life satisfaction
7,4
7,2
7
6,8
6,6
6,4
6,2
6
welfare
dependent
independence
from welfare
ANOVA: F (1,722) = 30.49, p <.000, η = .041
14
Malaise among
Teenage Mothers (generation 2)
5,8
5,6
5,4
5,2
5
4,8
4,6
4,4
4,2
4
welfare
dependant
independence
from welfare
ANOVA: F (1,723) = 22.08, p <.001, η = .030
15
Main Findings

Economic wellbeing among teenage mothers is
influenced mainly by:




Attachment to the labour market;
Stable relationship.
Independence from social welfare is a proxy for life
satisfaction and psychological wellbeing among
teenage mothers;
Some unfavourable characteristics of the family of
origin (teenage motherhood or parental divorce)
do not have to be detrimental for child development,
if parents give attention to a child and engage in
joint parent-child activities.
16
Policy Implications (1)

Importance of parent-child interactions for
school motivation and stable relationship in
adulthood
→ Need to create opportunities for family
activities;
→ Too little attention to emotional needs of
young families in current polices.
17
Policy Implications (2)

Importance of school motivation:

Motivated teenagers :


More likely to continue with education;
More attached to the labour market;
Yet, bright young women disengaged from
school
→ Need to raise interest and engagement in
school.

18
Thank you for your attention!
e.polek@ioe.ac.uk
i.schoon@ioe.ac.uk
19