Social determinants of health among U.S. women with incarcerated partners: A longitudinal analysis

Purpose: To examine intragroup variability in both physical and mental health among women with intimate partners incarcerated in U.S. state prisons. Methods: Three waves of data from the Multi-site Family Study on Incarceration, Parenting and Partnering and within-between random effects regression modeling are used to analyze financial well-being, relationship stability, social and personal support, and physical and mental health. Results: The within-person findings indicate that 1) having difficulty paying bills predicts higher odds of suboptimal physical health, 2) experiencing unemployment predicts higher odds of suboptimal mental health, 3) improved mastery predicts reduced odds of both suboptimal physical and mental health, and 4) increased friend support predicts reduced odds of suboptimal mental health among the women. The between-person findings indicate that 1) financial challenges predict suboptimal physical and mental health, 2) relationship instability caused by the incarceration predicts suboptimal mental health, 3) family support and mastery predict lower odds of suboptimal physical health, and 4) friend support and mastery predict lower odds of suboptimal mental health. Conclusions: The findings provide insight into the drivers of health disparity and potential interventions for improving the health of women who may not be reached if their partners were not involved with the criminal legal system.