IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/poprpr/v42y2023i3d10.1007_s11113-023-09796-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Multipartner Fertility and Psychological Distress: Evidence for Social Selection

Author

Listed:
  • Jake J. Hays

    (University of Michigan)

Abstract

Multipartner fertility (MPF), which occurs when individuals have children with multiple partners, is associated with psychological distress, but it is unclear whether MPF is linked to increase in psychological distress or whether those with higher levels of psychological distress disproportionately enter MPF. I adjudicate between these possibilities using prospective panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97; n = 3321). I find that the association between MPF and psychological distress is driven by selection. Hybrid (or between-within) models indicate that men and women who have multipartner fertility have higher levels of psychological distress (the between-effect), but among those who experience MPF, having a child with a second fertility partner it is not associated with changes in psychological distress (the within-effect). Instead, psychological distress predicts MPF (versus having two or more children with the same partner) net of childhood family context, socioeconomic status, first birth characteristics, and prior union instability. The findings suggest that social selection is crucial to understanding the link between complex family formation and mental health in the current era of stable family complexity.

Suggested Citation

  • Jake J. Hays, 2023. "Multipartner Fertility and Psychological Distress: Evidence for Social Selection," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-30, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:42:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-023-09796-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-023-09796-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-023-09796-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11113-023-09796-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cynthia Osborne & Lawrence Berger & Katherine Magnuson, 2012. "Family Structure Transitions and Changes in Maternal Resources and Well-being," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 23-47, February.
    2. Frank F. Furstenberg, 2014. "Fifty Years of Family Change," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 654(1), pages 12-30, July.
    3. Karen Guzzo & Frank Furstenberg, 2007. "Multipartnered fertility among American men," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(3), pages 583-601, August.
    4. Reinhard Schunck & Francisco Perales, 2017. "Within- and between-cluster effects in generalized linear mixed models: A discussion of approaches and the xthybrid command," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 17(1), pages 89-115, March.
    5. Wendy D. Manning & Susan L. Brown & J. Bart Stykes, 2014. "Family Complexity among Children in the United States," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 654(1), pages 48-65, July.
    6. Sophia Rabe-Hesketh & Anders Skrondal, 2012. "Multilevel and Longitudinal Modeling Using Stata, 3rd Edition," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, edition 3, number mimus2, March.
    7. Lindsay M. Monte, 2019. "Multiple-Partner Fertility in the United States: A Demographic Portrait," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 103-127, February.
    8. Noreen Goldman, 1993. "Marriage selection and mortality patterns: Inferences and fallacies," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 30(2), pages 189-208, May.
    9. Ying Chen & Jess Haines & Brittany M. Charlton & Tyler J. VanderWeele, 2019. "Positive parenting improves multiple aspects of health and well-being in young adulthood," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(7), pages 684-691, July.
    10. Michael Rendall & Lynda Clarke & H. Peters & Nalini Ranjit & Georgia Verropoulou, 1999. "Incomplete reporting of men’s fertility in the united states and britain: A research note," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(1), pages 135-144, February.
    11. Paula Fomby & Joshua A. Goode & Stefanie Mollborn, 2016. "Family Complexity, Siblings, and Children’s Aggressive Behavior at School Entry," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(1), pages 1-26, February.
    12. Brienna Perelli-Harris & Stefanie Hoherz & Fenaba Addo & Trude Lappegård & Ann Evans & Sharon Sassler & Marta Styrc, 2018. "Do Marriage and Cohabitation Provide Benefits to Health in Mid-Life? The Role of Childhood Selection Mechanisms and Partnership Characteristics Across Countries," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(5), pages 703-728, October.
    13. Dmitry Tumin, 2018. "Does Marriage Protect Health? A Birth Cohort Comparison," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 99(2), pages 626-643, June.
    14. Kara Joyner & H. Peters & Kathryn Hynes & Asia Sikora & Jamie Taber & Michael Rendall, 2012. "The Quality of Male Fertility Data in Major U.S. Surveys," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 101-124, February.
    15. Laura Tach & Ronald Mincy & Kathryn Edin, 2010. "Parenting as A “package deal”: Relationships, fertility, and nonresident father involvement among unmarried parents," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 47(1), pages 181-204, February.
    16. Mirowsky, John & Ross, Catherine E., 2002. "Depression, parenthood, and age at first birth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 54(8), pages 1281-1298, April.
    17. Karen Benjamin Guzzo & Cassandra Dorius, 2016. "Challenges in Measuring and Studying Multipartnered Fertility in American Survey Data," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(4), pages 553-579, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mariana Amorim & Laura M. Tach, 2019. "Multiple-Partner Fertility and Cohort Change in the Prevalence of Half-Siblings," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2033-2061, December.
    2. Donna K. Ginther & Astrid L. Grasdal & Robert A. Pollak, 2019. "Fathers' Multiple-Partner Fertility and Children’s Educational Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 26242, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Ayllón, Sara & Ferreira-Batista, Natalia N., 2015. "‘Mommy, I miss daddy’. The effect of family structure on children's health in Brazil," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 75-89.
    4. Marcia Carlson & Alicia VanOrman & Natasha Pilkauskas, 2013. "Examining the Antecedents of U.S. Nonmarital Fatherhood," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1421-1447, August.
    5. Julia S. Goldberg, 2011. "Identity Salience and Involvement among Resident and Nonresident Fathers," Working Papers 1323, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    6. Damien Rousselière, 2019. "A Flexible Approach to Age Dependence in Organizational Mortality: Comparing the Life Duration for Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Enterprises Using a Bayesian Generalized Additive Discrete Time Survi," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 17(4), pages 829-855, December.
    7. Karen Benjamin Guzzo, 2014. "New Partners, More Kids," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 654(1), pages 66-86, July.
    8. Lawrence M. Berger & Lidia Panico & Anne Solaz, 2018. "Maternal Repartnering: Does Father Involvement Matter? Evidence from United Kingdom," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(1), pages 1-31, February.
    9. Markku Maula & Wouter Stam, 2020. "Enhancing Rigor in Quantitative Entrepreneurship Research," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(6), pages 1059-1090, November.
    10. repec:pri:crcwel:wp11-14-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Sharon H. Bzostek & Lawrence M. Berger, 2017. "Family Structure Experiences and Child Socioemotional Development During the First Nine Years of Life: Examining Heterogeneity by Family Structure at Birth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(2), pages 513-540, April.
    12. Li-Chung Hu, 2021. "Marital Status and Self-Rated Health in China: A Longitudinal Analysis," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(3), pages 499-531, June.
    13. William Schneider, 2016. "Relationship Transitions and the Risk for Child Maltreatment," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 1771-1800, December.
    14. Trude Lappegård & Marit Rønsen, 2013. "Socioeconomic Differences in Multipartner Fertility Among Norwegian Men," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 1135-1153, June.
    15. Terry-Ann L. Craigie, 2010. "Child Support Transfers under Family Complexity," Working Papers 1276, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    16. Kelly Musick & Katherine Michelmore, 2015. "Change in the Stability of Marital and Cohabiting Unions Following the Birth of a Child," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(5), pages 1463-1485, October.
    17. Elena Pirani & Daniele Vignoli, 2021. "Childbearing Across Partnerships in Italy: Prevalence, Demographic Correlates, Social Gradient," Econometrics Working Papers Archive 2021_15, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Statistica, Informatica, Applicazioni "G. Parenti".
    18. Kelly Musick & Katherine Michelmore, 2018. "Cross-National Comparisons of Union Stability in Cohabiting and Married Families With Children," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(4), pages 1389-1421, August.
    19. Paula Fomby & Nicole Kravitz-Wirtz, 2019. "Family Systems and Parents’ Financial Support for Education in Early Adulthood," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1875-1897, October.
    20. Alessandra Trimarchi & Jan Van Bavel, 2017. "Education and the Transition to Fatherhood: The Role of Selection Into Union," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 119-144, February.
    21. Timothy M. Smeeding & Irwin Garfinkel & Ronald B. Mincy, 2011. "Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Families, Poverty, and Policy," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 635(1), pages 6-21, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:42:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s11113-023-09796-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.