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Parental Separation and Its Impact on Childhood Vaccination: Evidence from Italy

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Abstract

Research on the effects of parental separation on children’s socioeconomic outcomes is extensive, yet little is known about how family disruptions impact adherence to vaccination schedules. This study addresses this gap by investigating the association between parental separation and children's vaccination coverage, using a unique dataset on Italian parents born between 1954 and 1983. A multinomial logistic regression model is used to assess the relationship between parental separation and adherence to the vaccination schedule, accounting for the child’s age at the time of parental break-up. Our results show that children who experience parental separation are less likely to receive all recommended vaccinations and are more likely to receive only mandatory vaccines or none at all. The negative effect is particularly pronounced for children who were younger at the time of separation. Given the rising incidence of family disruptions, these findings have important policy implications for improving vaccination uptake.

Suggested Citation

  • Raffaele Guetto & Valentina Tocchioni & Maria Veronica Dorgali & Alice Dominici, 2025. "Parental Separation and Its Impact on Childhood Vaccination: Evidence from Italy," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2025_01, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    • Handle: RePEc:fir:econom:wp2025_01
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    File URL: https://labdisia.disia.unifi.it/wp_disia/2025/wp_disia_2025_01.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Raffaele Guetto & Francesca Zanasi & Maria Carella, 2022. "Non-intact Families and Children’s Educational Outcomes: Comparing Native and Migrant Pupils," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 38(5), pages 1065-1094, December.
    2. Arnstein Aassve & Gianni Betti & Stefano Mazzuco & Letizia Mencarini, 2007. "Marital disruption and economic well‐being: a comparative analysis," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 170(3), pages 781-799, July.
    3. Fabrizio Bernardi & Jonas Radl, 2014. "The long-term consequences of parental divorce for children’s educational attainment," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(61), pages 1653-1680.
    4. Juho Härkönen & Fabrizio Bernardi & Diederik Boertien, 2017. "Family Dynamics and Child Outcomes: An Overview of Research and Open Questions," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 33(2), pages 163-184, May.
    5. Simon Chapple, 2009. "Child Well-Being and Sole-Parent Family Structure in the OECD: An Analysis," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 82, OECD Publishing.
    6. Raffaele Guetto & Fabrizio Bernardi & Francesca Zanasi, 2022. "Parental education, divorce, and children’s educational attainment: Evidence from a comparative analysis," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(3), pages 65-96.
    7. Wilfred Uunk, 2004. "The Economic Consequences of Divorce for Women in the European Union: The Impact of Welfare State Arrangements," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 20(3), pages 251-285, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    parental separation; pediatric vaccination; Italy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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