Abstract
PurposeSubjective well-being (SWB) in youths positively relates to family income, however its association with income during childhood is unclear. Using longitudinal data from the US Panel Study of Income Dynamics (n = 2234 adolescents, age 12–19 years), we examined whether the timing and duration of low family income in childhood was associated with adolescent SWB.MethodsWe categorized family income during childhood into state-specific quintiles. Adolescent SWB was assessed using a 12-item questionnaire (score range 3–18). We used marginal structural modelling to test for sensitive periods of exposure to low income and tested cumulative effects of income by modelling the number of years spent in the poorest income quintiles.ResultsA period in early childhood (age 0–2 years) was particularly sensitive to low family income. Adolescent SWB was 1.65 (95% CI 0.40, 2.91) points lower in those who grew up in the poorest income quintiles during early childhood compared with the top quintile. Further, each childhood year spent in the poorest income quintiles was associated with a 0.10 point (95% CI 0.04, 0.16) lower SWB score in adolescence.ConclusionsThe timing and duration of low family income in childhood both predict individual differences in adolescent SWB. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms of these models and inform public policies.
Highlights
Adolescence is a formative phase of human development, marked by significant physical, cognitive and social changes
Adolescent subjective well-being (SWB) was 1.65 points lower in those who grew up in the poorest income quintiles during early childhood compared with the top quintile
Each childhood year spent in the poorest income quintiles was associated with a 0.10 point lower SWB score in adolescence
Summary
Adolescence is a formative phase of human development, marked by significant physical, cognitive and social changes. Adolescents who report greater subjective well-being (SWB) fare better at schools, have better relationships, and have less mental health problems [1,2,3], and these benefits carry into adulthood [4,5,6]. SWB is a broad term that refers to a family of positive mental health measures which attempt to capture the way individuals evaluate their lives, including positive emotions, satisfaction, and meaning [7]. Positive psychology underlines the importance of both hedonia (“feeling good”) and eudaimonia (“doing well”) in determining SWB, such that SWB encompasses positive emotions (hedonic well-being) as well as meaning, purpose, engagement, and positive relationships (eudaimonic well-being) [3, 8,9,10,11,12]. Despite the many benefits of SWB, little is known about the contextual factors that support or hinder SWB in adolescence
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