title: Residential mobility during adolescence: Do even "upward" moves predict dropout risk?
abstract: This paper uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate the impact of housing instability in adolescence on the likelihood of subsequent graduation from high school. Combining census data, self-reports, and information about respondents' residential changes, we use the variation in households' number of moves and neighborhood quality to predict whether participants obtain a high school diploma. Controlling for major predictors of housing mobility, students experiencing at least one move over a 12-month period have a roughly 50% decreased likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma by the age of 25. These associations are identified regardless of whether students move to a poorer or less-poor neighborhood. Our results carry implications for the development of housing policies and interventions designed for disadvantaged populations.
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States. Electronic address: mmetzger@brownschool.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Molly W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States. Electronic address: pjfowler@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: Georgia State University College of Law, 140 Decatur Street, Urban Life Building Room 445, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States. Electronic address: canderson55@gsu.edu.
authors.forename: Courtney Lauren
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20016, United States. Electronic address: clindsay@american.edu.
authors.forename: Constance A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lindsay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012306:Risk; D012574:Schools; D012923:Social Class; D013332:Student Dropouts; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Add Health; Adolescence; High school graduation; Housing mobility; Moving; Neighborhood