Children of imprisoned parents indulge in unhealthy behaviours

A recent study has claimed that having a parent in prison has an impact on children's behaviour.

According to a study, these young adults are more likely to skip needed healthcare, smoke cigarettes, engage in risky sexual behaviours, and abuse alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs.

Strikingly, incarceration of a mother during childhood, as opposed to a father, doubled the likelihood of young adults using the emergency department instead of a primary care setting for medical care.

Young adults, whose mothers had been incarcerated, were also twice as likely to have sex in exchange for money, while those with histories of father incarceration were 2.5 times more likely to use intravenous drugs.

"We shed light on how much the incarceration of a mother versus father influences the health behaviors of children into adulthood," said lead author Nia Heard-Garris.

Dr. Heard-Garris and colleagues analysed national survey data (United States) from over 13,000 young adults (ages 24-32), finding that 10 percent have had a parent incarcerated during their childhood. Participants were on average 10 years old the first time their parent was incarcerated.

Additionally, young black adults had a much higher prevalence of parental incarceration. While such participants represented less than 15 percent of the young adults surveyed, they accounted for roughly 34 percent of those with history of an incarcerated mother and 23 percent with history of an incarcerated father.

"The systemic differences in the arrest, prosecution, conviction, and sentencing of people of color impact the future health of their children," said Dr. Heard-Garris.

Previous research shows that individuals with a history of parental incarceration have higher rates of asthma, HIV/AIDS, learning delays, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's possible that because these young adults are more likely to forgo medical care and engage in unhealthy behaviors, they are at higher risk to develop these physical and mental health conditions," said Dr. Heard-Garris.

"By pinpointing the specific health-harming behaviors that these young adults demonstrate, this study may be a stepping stone towards seeking more precise ways to mitigate the health risks these young adults face. Hopefully, future studies will teach us how to prevent, screen for, and target negative health behaviors prior to adulthood," she added.

The study has been published in the journal Pediatrics.