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H. PARENTS’ PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Parents’ health problems may also put children at risk of poorer health and developmental outcomes. The health of children’s primary caregivers can influence their parenting behavior and relationships with their children. Physical health problems may limit parents’ activities with their children, and mental health problems may make it more difficult for parents to develop strong healthy relationships with their children. Poor physical or mental health can also interfere with parents’ ability to work and support their children economically.
Half the Early Head Start mothers reported their own health to be excellent or very good and one-fifth reported their health to be fair or poor (Table 6). Nationally, nearly one-third of poor women 18 years old and above reported their overall health status to be fair or poor in 1995 (Pamuk et al. 1998). The more favorable overall health status reported by Early Head Start mothers in the research programs probably reflects their young age (nearly 40 percent were under 20, and nearly all were under 30).
| Child's Age | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Months | 24 Months | 36 Months | |
| Primary Caregiver's Overall Health Statusa | |||
|
47.9 | 51.1 | 45.8 |
|
34.4 | 31.0 | 34.3 |
|
17.7 | 17.9 | 20.0 |
|
3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| Father/Father-Figure's Overall Health Statusa,b | |||
|
NA | 55.3 | 60.9 |
|
NA | 29.6 | 25.5 |
|
NA | 15.1 | 13.7 |
|
NA | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Time Since Enrollment | |||
| 7 months | 16 months | 28 months | |
| Primary Caregiver's Functional Limitations | |||
|
9.9 | 10.0 | 9.1 |
|
4.5 | 5.1 | 4.0 |
|
4.2 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| Sample Size (Fathers) | 946-959 | 937-961 (349) | 1,066-1,093 (346) |
| Source: Parent interviews conducted when children were approximately 14, 24, and 36 months of age. Parent services follow-up interviews were completed 7, 16, and 28 months after enrollment. | |||
| NA = not available. | |||
| a Primary caregivers and fathers/father-figures were asked to rate their overall health as poor (1), fair (2), good (3), very good (4), orexcellent (5). | |||
| b Fathers and father-figures were interviewed in 12 of the 17 research sites when children were approximately 24 and 36 months of age. | |||
Early Head Start fathers and father figures were interviewed in 12 of the 17 research sites when children were 24 and 36 months old. Slightly more than half the fathers and father-figures who completed the interviews reported that their overall health was excellent or very good (55 to 60 percent), and approximately 15 percent reported it to be fair or poor.
Nine to 10 percent of the Early Head Start mothers reported, at each of the assessment points, that their health limited their participation in vigorous activity.7 Four to 5 percent of the mothers reported being unable to carry out moderate activities such as walking several blocks, lifting or carrying groceries, or climbing a single flight of stairs. Another 4 to 5 percent of the mothers reported that they were unable to take part in even minimal activities such as walking, bending, kneeling, or bathing or dressing themselves. By 28 months after enrollment, 40 percent of Early Head Start mothers reported some limitations in their activities due to health problems. This is considerably higher than the 23 percent of low-income adults reporting activity limitations in national studies (National Center for Health Statistics, 2002) and is likely related to temporary limitations due to pregnancy. Primary caregivers reporting activity limitations related to health were more likely to have been pregnant at some time between enrollment and the 28-month interview than those who did not have health related activity limitations (69 versus 48 percent).
Maternal depression is a special health concern, because it is associated with increased negative parenting behaviors, parenting stress, family conflict, and child aggressive behavior (NICHD 1999). At the time of enrollment, nearly half the mothers (48 percent) in the eight programs where mothers were asked about depression reported enough depressive symptoms to suggest that they may have been clinically depressed.8 One-third of the mothers in all 17 Early Head Start research programs reported depressive symptoms when their children were 14 months old, and a similar proportion reported depressive symptoms when their children were 36 months old. For some mothers, depression appeared to be persistent; 12 percent were depressed at both the 14- and 36-month assessments.
Rates of depression among Early Head Start fathers were also high. When children were 24 months old, 18 percent of Early Head Start fathers reported depressive symptoms indicating they may have been clinically depressed, and when children were 36 months of age, the rate was 16 percent.
7 Parents were read a list of specific activities and asked if their health currently limited their ability to participate in the activity. Activities ranged from vigorous (including sports or climbing several flights of stairs) to more moderate activities (climbing single flight of stairs or moderate sports) to minimal (bending, kneeling, dressing self). Parents reporting that their health limited their participation in the activity a lot were compared to those reporting that their health limited participation a little or not at all. (back)
8 (8)Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale. See ACF 2002a for more information about the measure. (back)
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