Illustration of mother with sick child

When money is tight, single mothers make a point to spend more on health care for their children than on themselves; two-parent families are less likely to make changes, according to a Rutgers study appearing in Review of Economics of the Household. Lead author Alan Monheit, a professor of health economics and public policy at the School of Public Health, says his team’s findings are consistent with other demonstrations of altruistic behavior by single mothers toward their children and reflects the vulnerability of single-mother families compared with two-parent families. Another study led by Monheit, published in Southern Economic Journal, revealed that parents educated beyond high school invest more in family health care, reducing the likelihood of medical emergencies.