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Children with disabilities and chronic conditions and longer-term parental health

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  • Burton, Peter
  • Lethbridge, Lynn
  • Phipps, Shelley

Abstract

This paper uses panel data from the Statistics Canada National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (1994-2000) to study the implications of parenting a child with a disability or chronic condition for subjective assessments of parental health. We find mother's health to be negatively affected, particularly if the disability is longer-term. Within families, the wife's health deteriorates relative to her husband's when they are parenting a child with a disability. These results are consistent with Akerlof and Kranton's [Akerlof, G., Kranton, R., 2000. Economics and identity. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 105(3), 715-753] arguments that 'identity' is an important determinant of both behaviour and well-being. For parents of children with disabilities, the behaviour associated with a traditional 'good mother' identity (e.g., care-giving) appears to have more adverse health consequences than the behaviour associated with a 'good father' identity (e.g., breadwinning).

Suggested Citation

  • Burton, Peter & Lethbridge, Lynn & Phipps, Shelley, 2008. "Children with disabilities and chronic conditions and longer-term parental health," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 1168-1186, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceco:v:37:y:2008:i:3:p:1168-1186
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Kelly Chen & Lars Osberg & Shelley Phipps, 2019. "Unequal opportunities and public policy: The impact of parental disability benefits on child postsecondary attendance," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(4), pages 1401-1432, November.
    2. Sandra E Black & Sanni Breining & David N Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen, 2021. "Sibling Spillovers [Endowments at birth and parents’ investment in children]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 101-128.
      • Sandra E. Black & Sanni Breining & David N. Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2017. "Sibling Spillovers," CESifo Working Paper Series 6348, CESifo.
      • Sandra E. Black & Sanni Breining & David N. Figlio & Jonathan Guryan & Krzysztof Karbownik & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Jeffrey Roth & Marianne Simonsen, 2017. "Sibling Spillovers," NBER Working Papers 23062, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Peter Burton & Kelly Chen & Lynn Lethbridge & Shelley Phipps, 2017. "Child health and parental paid work," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 597-620, June.
    4. Peter Burton & Lynn N. Lethbridge & Shelley Phipps, 2008. "Mothering Children with Disabilities and Chronic Conditions: Long-Term Implications for Self-Reported Health," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 34(3), pages 359-378, September.
    5. Bobinac, Ana & van Exel, N. Job A. & Rutten, Frans F.H. & Brouwer, Werner B.F., 2010. "Caring for and caring about: Disentangling the caregiver effect and the family effect," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 549-556, July.
    6. Lisbeth Gravdal Kvarme & Elena Albertini‐Früh & Idunn Brekke & Ragnhild Gardsjord & Liv Halvorsrud & Hilde Liden, 2016. "On duty all the time: health and quality of life among immigrant parents caring for a child with complex health needs," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(3-4), pages 362-371, February.
    7. Maryam Maadi Esfahan & Atefeh Rostami, 2016. "The Relationship between Optimism and Life Expectancy with Family Function among Parents with Disabled Children," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 10(6), pages 188-188, June.
    8. Idunn Brekke & Marjan Nadim, 2017. "Gendered effects of intensified care burdens: employment and sickness absence in families with chronically sick or disabled children in Norway," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 31(3), pages 391-408, June.
    9. Kelly Chen & Lars Osberg & Shelley Phipps, 2015. "Inter-generational effects of disability benefits: evidence from Canadian social assistance programs," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(4), pages 873-910, October.
    10. Zhou, Weina & Wang, Shun, 2023. "Early childhood health shocks, classroom environment, and social-emotional outcomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).

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