title: Vulnerability within families headed by teen and young adult mothers investigated by child welfare services in Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Young mothers' families are at increased risk of child maltreatment and other poor health and social outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chi-square analyses of pooled child welfare services data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003; CIS-2008) were used to compare 284 teen mothers (18 years or younger) and 800 young mothers (19-21 years) and their families with 5752 families where the mother was 22 years or older.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six percent of young mothers were 18 years or younger. Most (68% of teen-mother families and 57% of families with a young adult mother) received social assistance as their main source of income compared with 36% of families with a mother aged 22 years or older. Teen and young adult mothers were more likely than those aged 22 or older to have childhood histories of out-of-home care (31% and 23% vs. 10%) and were more likely to have risk factors such as alcohol abuse (25% and 23% vs. 18%) and few social supports (46% and 41% vs. 37%). Secondary caregivers in families with young mothers also had more risk factors. Teen and young adult mother families were more likely to have their child placed out-of-home during the investigation (29% and 27% vs. 17%). All were equally likely to be victims of domestic violence and to have mental health issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within this sample of high-risk families, young mothers' families were more at risk than comparison families. Mothers' youth may be a useful criterion to identify families for targeted interventions.
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hovdestad
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tonmyr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000068216:Child Protective Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000066502:Grandparents; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect; adolescent mother; child abuse; child maltreatment; family violence; out-of-home care; teen mother