Poverty Mobility, Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty Among Mothers in Persistent Poverty, and Factors Associated with Their Young Adult Children's Material Hardship

Background: Financial well-being during childhood significantly impacts overall child well-being, shaping their financial stability in adulthood. Children who experience persistent poverty over consecutive years may face increased risks of poverty in adulthood. Understanding the factors associated with young adults' experiences of material hardship is essential for promoting financial stability. The purpose is to examine whether mothers who continuously experienced poverty during their child's early years (birth through age 15) undergo economic mobility (either upward or downward) as their child grows. Additionally, the current study explores the relationship between maternal poverty and young adult poverty status while identifying key factors influencing material hardship at age 22.

Method: Using data from multiple waves (birth and ages 1, 3, 5, 9, 15, and 22) of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), we identified a subgroup for analysis and conducted statistical analysis. The persistent poverty group comprised mothers who lived below the federal poverty threshold for at least 50% of the time through their child's age 15 (n = 654). We employed logistic regression analysis to investigate the associations between government assistance, weeks worked, maternal intragenerational poverty mobility, and intergenerational poverty transmission at age 22. Additionally, we explored factors associated with young adults' material hardship at age 22.

The independent variables included the number of weeks worked and government assistance received (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, etc.). The dependent variables were (1) maternal poverty status change (downward mobility: falling into poverty or upward mobility: escaping poverty vs. persistent poverty), (2) young adults' poverty status (downward or upward mobility vs. maternal persistent poverty), and (3) young adults' material hardship. The control variables included household income, maternal mental health, education level, material hardship, maternal illegal drug use, young adult’s race, young adult living with mother, education level, weeks worked, and young adult’s gender.

Result: We discovered that mothers who received government assistance had lower odds of persistent poverty (OR = 0.37, p <.05) as well as intergenerational poverty (OR = 0.36, p <.05) than who did not. Specifically, maternal factors, such as, maternal mental health wellbeing (i.e., depression or anxiety, OR = 2.87, p <.05; improper drug use, OR = 11.46, p <.05) had a greater influence on intergenerational poverty than on maternal persistent poverty. Additionally, results revealed that young adults who worked more weeks (OR = 1.01, p <.05) and received government benefits (OR = 1.36-1.81, p <.05) were more likely to experience material hardship compared to those who did not receive such assistance.

Conclusion and implications: These findings suggest that access to government assistance plays a crucial role in breaking both persistent and intergenerational poverty. However, regarding young adults’ material hardship, government assistance was paradoxically associated with the odds of experiencing hardship. This suggests that individuals who are not classified as living in poverty may still struggle with material hardship, which is a more subjective measure of financial stability. Future research should further explore the material hardship experienced by young adults raised by unmarried mothers.