Consequences of Teenage Motherhood on Teen-Mothers’ Siblings and Parents in Denmark: Evidence from New Quasi-Experimental Approaches

We will investigate the consequences of teenage motherhood on the economic outcomes of teen-mothers’ siblings and parents (grandparents) in Denmark. Most prior research on the consequences of teenage motherhood focuses on the outcomes of the teenage mothers themselves and those of their children. By contrast, very little research exists on the consequences of teenage motherhood for teenage mothers’ siblings and parents (“spillover effects”). This research will contribute the first quasi-experimental causal estimates on the economic consequences of teenage births on other family members in Denmark or elsewhere. Since teen mothers tend to come from vulnerable segments of
the population, this research is relevant for policy in Denmark.

This project provides first estimates for the consequences of teenage motherhood on teenage mothers’ siblings and parents in Denmark. The focus of prior research has been on the socioeconomic and psychosocial outcomes of the teenage mothers themselves and those of their children. By contrast, very little is known about the consequences of teenage motherhood for the teenage mother’s immediate family in Denmark or elsewhere. Our research draws on longitudinal data from Danish population registers. We analyze women born in the mid-1970s, and link them to their parents and all siblings. Danish
population registers are a unique resource for this project research because they cover the entire Danish population, link medical and social information, and allow long-term follow up to link teenage motherhood to adult outcomes across family members. Understanding the burden of teenage motherhood on teenage mothers’ parents and siblings is of great practical importance. Teenage motherhood in Denmark affects an estimated 4,500 young women, their siblings and parents each year. Our research will assist in the design of interventions to ease the burden on a vulnerable population.This project will be executed between September 2017 and January 2019. We will disseminate our results internationally and nationally to researchers, social workers and policy makers through conferences and meetings. Project participants are Felix Elwert, Professor of Sociology and Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Martin D. Munk, Professor of Sociology at Aalborg University, and Michael E. Sobel, Professor of Statistics at Columbia University.