J Adolesc. 2026 Feb 13. doi: 10.1002/jad.70119. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Parental education has been linked to childhood health and wellbeing outcomes. Intergenerational transfer of parental education into childhood health and wellbeing outcomes operates through multiple pathways, however the mediating influence of neighbourhood conditions remains understudied.
METHODS: Drawing on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) (n = 6432, 51% male, ages 14-15 years) we conduct a causal mediation analysis using a Regression-with-Residuals (RWR) approach to examine the mediating effect of neighbourhood social environment, neighbourhood built environment, and neighbourhood socio-economic advantage in the relationship between parental education and children’s health and wellbeing at age 14 years.
RESULTS: The results show neighbourhood quality, in particular neighbourhood social environment and neighbourhood advantage, mediates a small but statistically significant proportion of the association between parental education and child health and wellbeing.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that spatial stratification during childhood is likely to play an important role in the intergenerational reproduction of socio-economic gradients in health.
PMID:41685451 | DOI:10.1002/jad.70119
