A recent study found that housing insecurity during childhood leads to long-term adverse health outcomes. Housing insecurity is on the rise as the cost of housing increases, homelessness grows, and the availability of decent housing decreases worldwide. published in the journal Pediatrics found that housing insecurity impacts children’s well-being into their teenage years.
Teenagers who experienced some degree of housing insecurity in their childhood were found to be more likely to have adverse health outcomes. The research was based on data from the (FFCWB) study, which followed children from age one through adolescence. The study examined whether there is a link between long-term housing insecurity and teenagers’ health.
Housing insecurity was defined based on several factors, such as difficulties paying rent or mortgage, overcrowding by sharing housing with other families, facing eviction, and spending time in places not meant for residence, such as a car or an abandoned building. To understand the effects of these conditions on children’s health, the researchers measured symptoms of depression and anxiety and self-reported overall health (SRH). Nearly 5,000 participants were enrolled in the study at birth across 20 US cities.
The study found that children who experienced any level of housing insecurity at some point in their lives registered worse overall health and mental health compared to those who had stable housing conditions. Adolescents with the highest housi.