Parental supervision positively impacts children’s economic prospects two decades later: A prospective longitudinal study

Abstract

Importance Upward income mobility is associated with better health outcomes and reduced stress. However, opportunities are unequally distributed, particularly so for those in rural communities and whose family have lower educational attainment. Objective To test the impact of parental supervision on their children’s income two decades later adjusting for parental economic and educational status. Design This study is a longitudinal, representative cohort study. From 1993–2000, annual assessments of 1,420 children were completed until age 16, then followed up at age 35, 2018–2021, for further assessment. Models tested direct effects of parental supervision on child income, and indirect effects via child educational attainment. Setting This study is an ongoing longitudinal population-based study of families in 11 predominately rural counties of the Southeastern U.S. Participants About 8% of the residents and sample are African American and fewer than 1% are Hispanic. American Indians make up 4% of the population in study but were oversampled to make up 25% of the sample. 49% of the 1,420 participants are female. Main outcomes and measures 1258 children and parents were assessed for sex, race/ethnicity, household income, parent educational attainment, family structure, child behavioral problems, and parental supervision. The children were followed up at age 35 to assess their household income and educational attainment. Results Parental educational attainment, income, and family structure were strongly associated with their children’s household income at age 35 (e.g., r = .392, p < .05). Parental supervision of the child was associated with increased household income for the child at age 35, adjusting for SES of the family of origin. Children of parents who did not engage in adequate supervision earned approximately $14,000 less/year (i.e., ~13% of the sample’s median household income) than those who did. The association of parental supervision and child income at 35 was mediated by the child’s educational attainment. Conclusion and relevance This study suggests adequate parental supervision during early adolescence is associated with children’s economic prospects two decades later, in part by improving their educational prospects. This is particularly important in areas such as rural Southeast U.S.