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Family trajectories and health: A life course perspective

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  • Nicola Barban

Abstract

In this paper, I investigate the role of family trajectory, i.e. the whole sequence of family events during the life course of early adults in shaping their health outcomes. I jointly consider union formation and childbearing, since the two life domains are highly connected and their intersections may have an effect on health outcomes. Data come from Wave I and Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The paper is divided in two parts. First, I focus on transitions and investigate if changes in timing (when events happen), quantum (what and how many transitions) and sequencing (in what order), have an effect on the health of young women. In the second part, I classify life course trajectories into six groups representing different ideal-types of family trajectories and I explore the association of these trajectories with health outcomes. Results suggest that family trajectories play an important role on different health outcomes. Controlling for selection and background characteristics, precocious and "non-normative" transitions are associated with lower self-reported health and higher propensity of smoking and drinking.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola Barban, 2011. "Family trajectories and health: A life course perspective," Working Papers 039, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    • Handle: RePEc:don:donwpa:039
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    File URL: ftp://ftp.dondena.unibocconi.it/WorkingPapers/Dondena_WP039.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Laurent Lesnard, 2006. "Optimal Matching and Social Sciences," Working Papers 2006-01, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    2. repec:mpr:mprres:5511 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Robert G. Wood & Brian Goesling & Sarah Avellar, "undated". "The Effects of Marriage on Health: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence," Mathematica Policy Research Reports d69bf47785bc4154a4e184aa5, Mathematica Policy Research.
    4. repec:mpr:mprres:5512 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Bruno Arpino & Jordi Gumà & Albert JuliÃ, 2021. "Deviations From Standard Family Histories and Subjective Wellbeing at Older Ages," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2021_16, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    2. Sara Kalucza & Sergi Vidal & Karina Nilsson, 2021. "Intergenerational persistence of family formation trajectories among teenage-mothers and -fathers in Sweden," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 259-282, September.
    3. Luca Maria Pesando & Nicola Barban & Maria Sironi & Frank F. Furstenberg, 2021. "A Sequence‐Analysis Approach to the Study of the Transition to Adulthood in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(3), pages 719-747, September.
    4. Laurie F. DeRose & Andrés Salazar-Arango & Paúl Corcuera García & Montserrat Gas-Aixendri & Reynaldo Rivera, 2017. "Maternal union instability and childhood mortality risk in the Global South, 2010–14," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 71(2), pages 211-228, May.
    5. Jesper Rözer & Anne-Rigt Poortman & Gerald Mollenhorst, 2017. "The timing of parenthood and its effect on social contact and support," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(62), pages 1889-1916.
    6. N. Barban & X. de Luna & E. Lundholm & I. Svensson & F. C. Billari, 2020. "Causal Effects of the Timing of Life-course Events: Age at Retirement and Subsequent Health," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 49(1), pages 216-249, February.
    7. Michaël Boissonneault, 2021. "Period measures of life course complexity," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(47), pages 1133-1148.
    8. Serah Shin & Hyungsoo Kim, 2018. "Health Trajectories of Older Americans and Medical Expenses: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study Data Over the 18 Year Period," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 19-33, March.
    9. Martin O’Flaherty & Janeen Baxter & Michele Haynes & Gavin Turrell, 2016. "The Family Life Course and Health: Partnership, Fertility Histories, and Later-Life Physical Health Trajectories in Australia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(3), pages 777-804, June.
    10. Katherine Keenan & Emily Grundy, 2019. "Fertility History and Physical and Mental Health Changes in European Older Adults," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(3), pages 459-485, July.
    11. David Pelletier & Simona Bignami-Van Assche & Anaïs Simard-Gendron, 2020. "Measuring Life Course Complexity with Dynamic Sequence Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 1127-1151, December.
    12. Sara Zella, 2017. "Marital Status Transitions and Self-Reported Health among Canadians: A Life Course Perspective," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 303-325, June.
    13. Maria Sironi & Nicola Barban & Roberto Impiacciatore, 2013. "The Role of Parental Social Class in the Transition to Adulthood: A Sequence Analysis Approach in Italy and the United States," Working Papers 059, "Carlo F. Dondena" Centre for Research on Social Dynamics (DONDENA), Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi.
    14. Anne Roeters & Jornt J. Mandemakers & Marieke Voorpostel, 2016. "Parenthood and Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Leisure and Paid Work," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 381-401, August.
    15. Tom Kleinepier & Helga de Valk, 2016. "Ethnic differences in family trajectories of young adult women in the Netherlands: Timing and sequencing of events," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(24), pages 671-710.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sequence analysis; life course analysis; health outcomes; transition to adulthood;
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