The Effect of Parental Educational Background on Child Health: Focusing on Comparison between the Low-income and Non-low-income Groups

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of health inequality has emerged as an important social problem in Korean society. Recent empirical studies show that social structural factors have more impact on an individual’s health than personal factors. Based on this point, this study examined how parental educational background affects child health. The study compared and analyzed the differences between low-income and non-low-income groups, in particular, based on whether they benefited from public welfare. This study conducted a simple frequency analysis, a descriptive statistical analysis, a correlation analysis, and a multiple regression analysis using the 5th’s year data of the Seoul Panel Study of Children (SPSC). The analysis results show that low-income children were affected by their parents’ educational background, while non-low-income children were not. Especially for low-income children, the higher a mother’s educational background, the worse her child’s self-rated health. This is due to the ‘care deficit’ created by the economic difficulties of low-income families, as mothers, the main caregivers, are forced to make a living, and by the patriarchal family culture in Korea that says, “Children are raised by their mothers.” In order to solve these problems, this study argues that a gender-equal care culture should be established, while at the same time arguing that a delicate policy approach is needed. For example, this study argues that it is necessary to expand community-based social services for primary care (e.g. Woori-dongne-kium Centers launched by the Seoul Metropolitan Government) for low-income families that are in desperate need of support for primary care.