Factors Related to Mental Health of 11- to 17-Year-Old Adolescent Low-Birth-Weight Survivors in the United States: Application of Multiple Disadvantage Model

Abstract

This study examined factors in adolescent low-birth-weight survivors’ mental health problems. This research applied data of 1,657 adolescent low-birth-weight survivors extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health. Logistic regression results indicated that the likelihood of adolescent low-birth-weight survivors’ mental health problems was associated negatively with Hispanic adolescents and caregivers’ mental health. Such likelihood was associated positively with relative caregivers, nonrelative caregivers, the difficulty of parenting the adolescent, the adolescent’s difficulty with peers, the adolescent’s chronic health condition(s), family mental health problem, and professional support. The conclusion included that these adolescents’ mental health problems were mainly related to relationships with caregivers and peers, their own health problems, and family members’ mental health. Implications of the present findings included interventions promoting adolescents’ access to continuous health care, effective parenting, parents’ mental health, and adolescents’ social skills with peers.