GSE Faculty Research
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
9-1-2017
Embargo Date
9-1-2018
Publication Source
Social Service Review
Volume
91
Issue
3
Start Page
534
Last Page
570
DOI
10.1086/694111
Abstract
Although there is a wealth of research on the relationship between income level and employment status and child well-being, the relationship between economic instability and health during early childhood is understudied. We examine the associations between the incidence, accumulation, and timing of intrayear employment and income instability with household and child food insecurity and child health using a nationally representative sample of households. The sample includes children age 3–5 from households in the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (N = 5,056). We find that young children’s households experience high levels of both income and employment instability. Both the incidence and the accumulation of instability predict poorer child outcomes, more recent instability is more strongly associated with child outcomes, and these relations are stronger for children with less educated parents. Employment and income changes have separate, unique associations with each outcome and operate in somewhat different ways.
Copyright/Permission Statement
© 2017 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.
Accepted for publication by Social Service Review.
Keywords
child health, early childhood development, employment instability, food insecurity, income instability
Recommended Citation
Wolf, S., & Morrissey, T. (2017). Economic Instability, Food Insecurity, and Child Health in the Wake of the Great Recession. Social Service Review, 91 (3), 534-570. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/694111
Included in
Developmental Psychology Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Food Studies Commons, Labor Economics Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Social Policy Commons
Date Posted: 05 May 2021
This document has been peer reviewed.