Family Structure, Mother–Daughter Relationship Quality, Race and Ethnicity, and Adolescent Girls' Health Risks

Abstract

Using a sample of 7,114 adolescent girls (4,269 White, 1,707 African American, and 1,138 Hispanic) and biological mothers from Wave 1 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we examined how family structure, girls' perceptions of mother–daughter relationship quality, and race and ethnicity related to girls' health risks. In general, results indicate heightened risk for both precocious events and depressive symptoms for girls in mother–stepfather, single-mother, and nonresident mother families compared to mother–father families. However, significant two- and three-way interactions suggest that adolescent girls' health risks vary considerably based on the combination of family structure, mother–daughter relationship quality, and race and ethnicity.