The transgenerational birth file links birth certificates of 267,303 babies born in Illinois between the years of 1989 and 1991 to the birth certificates of their Illinois-born mothers age 12 through 35. Of these babies 127,628 were also linked to the birth certificates of their Illinois-born fathers. Using this data set we examined the transgenerational patterns of teen childbearing by race/ethnicity for both mothers and fathers. Data on grandparents were available from the parents' birth certificates.
11,896 (5.3%) of the babies' birth certificates identified a father aged 11 to 19 years and 40,705 (15%) identified a mother aged 12 through 19 years. Of the babies with teen parents 9% were Hispanic, 30% black, and 61% white. Being born to a teen parent increased the rate of teen childbearing for men and women, black, white and Hispanic, with a stronger effect when born to a teen father. A similar effect was seen when one's partner had had a teen parent, again with a stronger father effect. On average teen fathers were close in age to their partners with minimal effect of race/ethnicity with whites showing the smallest age disparity. In contrast teen mothers averaged almost 3 years younger than their partners, with whites showing the largest disparity, Hispanics the least. Teen mothers had almost twice the age disparity as all mothers, but a disparity similar to the grandparent generation.
Linked birth certificate files show promise for identifying transgenerational patterns of teen childbearing for both fathers and mothers.
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the transgenerational patterns of teen childbearing that can be identified through linked birth certificate analysis. 2. Describe race/ethnicity patterns across generations of teen parents. 3. Evaluate the impact of age disparity on outcome of births to teen parents.
Keywords: Adolescents, Birth Outcomes
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.