Contact between young people and their parents

Definition

The proportion of secondary school students aged 12–18 years who said they get enough time with Mum and/or Dad (or someone who acts as Mum and/or Dad), most of the time, as reported in the Youth2000 and Youth’07 surveys.

Relevance

Healthy relationships are built through both the quantity and quality of time spent together. Having a close and caring relationship with a parent is one of the most important predictors of good health and wellbeing for young people.¹⁰⁶

Current level and trends

In 2007, 57 percent of secondary school students reported that they get enough time with at least one parent most of the time. This was a smaller proportion than in 2001 (62 percent).¹⁰⁷

About half of the students (46 percent) felt they get enough time with their mothers most of the time, while fewer students (39 percent) felt they get enough time with their fathers.

Of those students who did not get enough time with their parents, the most common reason reported was that the parent was at work. Seventy-two percent of students who lacked time with their fathers gave this reason, as did 62 percent of students who lacked time with their mothers. Other common reasons were that the parent was busy with housework, other children or family members (particularly mothers), and that the parent was out or not living with them (particularly fathers).

Figure SC3.1 Proportion of secondary school students who said they get enough time with their parent(s) most of the time, by sex, 2001 and 2007

Figure SC3.1 Proportion of secondary school students who said they get enough time with their parent(s) most of the time, by sex, 2001 and 2007

Sources: Adolescent Health Research Group (2003, 2008b)

Age differences

Younger students were more likely than older students to report that most of the time they get enough time with their Mum and most of the time they get enough time with their Dad. These differences remain after adjusting for sex, ethnicity and socio-economic differences. Across all age groups, students were more likely to report that they get enough time with their Mum than with their Dad.

Table SC3.1 Proportion (%) of secondary school students who get enough time with their mother or father most of the time, by age, 2007 (with 95% confidence intervals below)

Parent	Age of student					Total
Parent	12–13 years	14 years	15 years	16 years	17–18 years	12–18 years
Mother	48.7	47.3	47.1	42.7	44.4	46.2
Mother	46.3–51.0	44.8–49.8	44.7–49.4	39.8–45.6	42.0–46.8	44.8–47.6
Father	43.5	40.7	38.4	35.6	36.0	39.0
Father	41.4–45.5	38.2–43.2	36.0–40.9	32.9–38.3	32.9–39.0	37.6–40.4

Source: Adolescent Health Research Group (2008b) pp 43, 45
Note: If the respective confidence intervals (in smaller font) do not overlap, the difference between rates is likely to be statistically significant.

Sex differences

In 2007, more male students (62 percent) than female students (50 percent) reported that most of the time they get enough time with at least one parent. This difference remains after adjusting for age, ethnicity and socio-economic differences. In 2001, there was no significant difference by sex.

The proportion of female students reporting they get enough time with their parents fell between 2001 and 2007 (from 61 percent to 50 percent), but there was very little change for male students over this period.

Both males and females were more likely to say they get enough time with their Mum than with their Dad.

Ethnic differences

Sixty-one percent of New Zealand European students reported that most of the time they get enough time with Mum and/or Dad. Fewer Māori students (51 percent), Pacific students (49 percent) and Asian students (51 percent) reported that most of the time they get enough time with Mum and/or Dad. These differences remain after adjusting for age, sex and socio-economic differences.

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