Inequalities in the distribution of COVID-19 related financial difficulties for Australian families with young children.

BACKGROUND: We examine: (1) the frequency of financial difficulties in Australian families with young children (0-8 years) in the early and later phases of the pandemic; (2) the extent to which parents\u27 pre-pandemic socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) predicted financial difficulties; and (3) whether grandparent intergenerational SED further amplified this risk. METHOD: Data: Australian Temperament Project (ATP; established 1983, N=2443) and ATP Generation 3 Study (ATPG3; established 2012; N=702), of which 74% (N=553) completed a COVID-specific module in the early (May-September, 2020) and/or later (October-December, 2021) phases of the pandemic. OUTCOMES: Parent-reported loss of employment/reduced income, difficulty paying for essentials, and financial strain. EXPOSURES: Pre-pandemic parent and grandparent education and occupation. ANALYSIS: Logistic regressions, estimated via Generalised Estimating Equations, were used to examine associations between the pre-pandemic SED of parents and grandparents and their interaction with financial difficulties, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: At both pandemic time points, a third of parents reported adverse financial impacts (early: 34%, 95%CI=30-38; later: 32%, 95%CI=28-36). Each standard deviation increase in the parents\u27 pre-pandemic SED was associated with a 36% increase in the odds of reporting multiple financial difficulties (OR=1.36, 95%CI=1.04-1.78). There was little evidence of an interaction between the SED of parents and grandparents. CONCLUSIONS: Financial impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic were common, and, irrespective of grandparent SED, disproportionately borne by parents with higher pre-pandemic SED. Given the well-established relationship between disadvantage and child health and development, sustained and well targeted government supports will be critical to minimising adverse impacts in years to come