title: Single-parent family background and physical illness in adulthood: a follow-up study of the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort.
abstract: The association between single-parent family background and physical illness in early adulthood was studied in a sample of an unselected, general population: the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Between the ages of 16 and 28 years, women of single-parent family background were more commonly treated (61% versus 57%) for any physical condition in hospital wards compared with women of two-parent family background. Spontaneous abortions (odds ratio; OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.0), complications of pregnancy (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.3), and intracranial injuries (OR = 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-3.8) were more common among women with single-parent family background. They also had a clearly higher risk for induced abortions (OR = 1.6. 95% CI 1.4-1.9), and a higher incidence of deliveries than did other women. The risk of hospital-treated physical illness did not differ between men of single-parent and two-parent family background. Poisonings and injuries were, however, more common reasons for hospital admission among men with single-parent family background than among other men. In conclusion, our main finding was that, among women, an association between overall hospital-treated physical illness and single-parent family background does exist. However, offspring of single-parent families are mostly in as good physical health as others.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sauvola
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mäkikyrö
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jokelainen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joukamaa
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Järvelin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isohanni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004194:Disease / Q000145:classification*; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009017:Morbidity; D015406:Single Parent / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012923:Social Class