Poverty trajectories and child and mother wellbeing outcomes in Ireland: findings from an Irish prospective cohort

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPoverty is associated with poor outcomes, yet exposure to distinct poverty trajectories in early childhood is not well understood.ObjectiveTo understand the prevalence of different trajectories of household poverty and their association with mid-childhood and primary-parent(mother) indicators of physical health and psychopathology in Ireland.MethodsWe used a nationally representative, prospective cohort (Growing-up-in-Ireland– Infant-Cohort). Household poverty included lowest third income decile, subjective poverty and material deprivation when children were aged 9-months(m),3,5,9-years(y). We used group based multi-trajectory-cluster-modelling to classify trajectories of poverty. Using multivariate logistic regression, adjusted with separate child and mother confounders, we assessed the association of poverty trajectories from 9m to 9y with child outcomes (overweight, any longstanding illness and psychopathology) at age 9y and the same poverty trajectories over the same 9y period with mother outcomes (overweight, any longstanding illness and depression).ResultsOf 11,134 participants, four trajectories were identified: never-in-poverty (43.1%), material/subjective>monetary-poverty (16.1%), monetary>material-poverty (25.6%), and persistent-poverty (15.2%). Children in persistent-poverty compared with never in poverty experienced higher odds of being overweight at 9y (adjusted odds ratio aOR 1.70,95% CI 1.34, 2.16), having a longstanding illness (aOR 1.51,95% CI 1.20, 1.91) and psychopathology (aOR 2.06,95% CI 1.42, 2.99). The outcomes for primary parent (99.7% were mothers) had higher odds of being overweight (aOR 1.49,95% CI 1.16, 1.92), having a longstanding illness (aOR 2.13,95% CI 1.63, 2.79), and depression (aOR 3.54,95% CI 2.54, 4.94).ConclusionsAny poverty trajectory was associated with poorer psychopathology and physical wellbeing in late childhood for children and their mothers in Ireland.Take home messageWhat is already known on this subject?Poverty is understood as having both objective (e.g. low household income) and subjective dimensions (e.g., perception of being poor relative to others, poverty related anxiety). Evidence highlights the association between child poverty exposure and child and mother wellbeing outcomes.What this study adds?Our study examined predicted trajectories of multi-dimensional poverty and child and mother outcomes using a large national cohort. We identified that any poverty trajectory in childhood had a higher odds of being associated with poor well-being outcomes.How this study might affect research, practice or policy?This study highlights the need for strategies to ameliorate any poverty exposure as all poverty trajectories resulted in poorer wellbeing outcomes. Strategies should be considered to ameliorate any poverty exposure in early childhood (e.g., school based resourcing).