The health and socio-economic circumstances of British lone mothers over the last two decades.

This article examines the trends in the socio-economic circumstances and health of lone mothers compared to couple mothers from 1979 to 1995 in Great Britain using secondary analysis of data from General Household Survey and covering 9,159 lone mothers and 51,922 couple mothers living in private households. The main measures are self perceived general health, limiting long-standing illness, poverty and working status.