School aptitude and achievement in children of adolescent mothers

The effects of adolescent childbearing and parenting on the academic aptitude and achievement of fourth-grade children were examined by comparing children of mothers in three age groups at the birth of the first child: 15–17 years, 18–19 years, and 20–24 years. The data are from a longitudinal study of a community population of schoolchildren. Outcome measures were tests of cognitive skills at preschool screening, parent and teacher ratings of school performance at grade 3, and tests of aptitude and achievement at grade 4. After controlling for gender, birth order, family structure, and maternal education, results indicated that children of adolescent mothers, whether early or late adolescence, were generally not different from children of mothers in their early 20s with respect to academic ability and performance. Maternal education had a far greater impact on the outcome measures than did maternal age.This research was supported by NIMH Grant No. 5-R01 MH-27458 to Dr. Reinherz.Received Ph.D. degree at Brandeis University in 1978. Her major interests are child mental health and child abuse.Received Sc. D. degree at Harvard School of Public Health in 1965. Her major interests are child health and development.