Your Health

Health Day - ONLINE EDITION

Economic Conditions at Birth Linked to Behavior in Teen Years

Being born during a time of chronic unemployment may boost odds of juvenile delinquency, study says

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 01/1/2013 8:00 AM | Comments: 0

Being born during a time of chronic unemployment may boost odds of juvenile delinquency, study says.

MONDAY, Dec. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Infants growing up in households struggling with chronic unemployment may face a higher risk for engaging in substance abuse and a range of other delinquent behaviors as adolescents, new research suggests.

The finding is reported in the Dec. 31 online issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

"The results demonstrate a strong correlation between the unemployment rate during infancy and subsequent behavioral problems," according to the study team led by Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, of the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y.

"This finding suggests that unfavorable economic conditions during infancy may create circumstances that can affect the psychological development of the infant and lead to the development of behavioral problems in adolescence," the study authors wrote.

To explore the subject, the investigators cross-referenced unemployment statistics between 1980 and 1982 (a time of recession) and data collected by the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 concerning nearly 9,000 adolescents who were born between 1980 and 1984.

The result: The research team found that when homes caring for 1-year-old infants were exposed to even small upticks in their local unemployment rate, the chance that the infant would encounter behavioral problems as an adolescent increased.

Such problems included smoking marijuana or cigarettes, drinking, getting arrested, getting involved with gangs, and engaging in petty or major theft, the study authors noted in a journal news release.

That said, no such link between unemployment downturns and a higher risk for using hard drugs or engaging in violent assault was observed.

"Although the past does not necessarily predict the future, it provides important lessons," Ramanathan's team concluded. "Our findings suggest an important static risk factor that mental-health professionals may want to take into account when dealing with children exposed to the current economic crisis."

"We hope that the study inspires mental-health professionals to look for potential causes and explore interventions that can mitigate some of these long-term consequences," he added.

Although the study found an association between economic conditions at the time of birth and behavior problems in adolescence, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

For more on juvenile delinquency prevention, visit the U.S. Office of Justice Programs.

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Your Health

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.