Mothers’ Nonstandard Employment, Family Structure, and Children’s Health Insurance Coverage

Abstract

Using data from two longitudinal studies on mothers and children (NLSY79 and NLSY79 Children), this study first examined the relationship between mothers’ nonstandard employment and children’s health insurance coverage while adjusting for various compositional characteristics of mothers, children, and families. This study also evaluated whether this relationship differed across family structures. Results from multinomial logistic regression models showed that mothers’ nonstandard work was associated with a higher likelihood of children being uninsured or relying on public programs. In addition, in single-mother families, children’s uninsurance rate was highest if the mother held a nonstandard job, even compared to children of non-employed mothers. These study findings contribute to the literature on access to health insurance for children in the United States.