Elizabeth C. Cooksey

Parenting from a distance: The effects of paternal characteristics on contact between nonresidential fathers and their children

Changes in marital and fertility behavior have influenced the role of father for many men. We use data from the first two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households to examine various sociodemographic, situational, and attitudinal characteristics that might influence the degree of contact between nonresidential fathers and their minor children. We tap two different dimensions of distance parenting and find that although several variables influence both visiting and talking on the telephone or writing letters, some factors (the presence of multiple children in a household) predict visiting only, while others (child’s age and gender) predict only verbal/written contact. Similarly, some of the life-course decisions made by fathers appear to crowd out their involvement with nonresidential children, whereas other decisions reinforce their parenting behavior.

The changing impact of religion on the sexual and contraceptive behavior of adolescent women in the United States

This study examined the relationship between religion and adolescent sexual and contraceptive behaviors in the US. Data were obtained from the 1982 and 1988 Cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth among a sample of women 15-44 years of age. Models examined the determinants of risk of intercourse and contraceptive use only for women who were virgins at the start of the 4-year period preceding each survey. Findings indicate few religious differences in the likelihood of virginity retention among Whites in 1982. By 1988 there were large religious differences in risk of intercourse. White fundamentalists were able to reverse trends and increase the likelihood of retaining virginity. Among fundamentalist Blacks 50% were more likely to remain virgins regardless of time period. Denomination influenced contraceptive choice at first intercourse and the effects differed by race. White Catholics and fundamentalists were less likely to use any method at first intercourse than other religions. Most women who used a method relied on condoms at first intercourse. Fundamentalists were the most likely to use the pill. Black Catholics were more likely to use the pill and Blacks of other religions tended to use the condom. 62% of Whites and 60% of Blacks aged 15-19 years used contraception especially the pill at the most recent intercourse. 60% of White adolescents and only 46% of Blacks used contraception at first intercourse. Denomination or attendance had little effect on current contraceptive behavior among White teens. Findings suggest that the effects of denomination on the risk of intercourse and contraceptive use initially were not maintained after first intercourse.

The initiation of adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior during changing times.

This paper examines changes in the initiation of adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior in the United States between 1978 and 1988. Since a number of contextual changes occurred during this time period including a focusing of public attention on adolescent pregnancy along with the widespread publicity surrounding AIDS, we expected that the response to these events not only would change over time, but would also vary across social groups. Using data from Cycles III and IV of the National Survey of Family Growth, we find that the overall population patterns of earlier initiation of sexual intercourse and increased use of condoms at first intercourse are not found in all segments of the population. In general, the effects of race, religion, mothers education, and age changed during this time period. The long-term trend of younger age at first intercourse was halted for Blacks, and reversed for White, fundamentalist Protestants, but continued for all other Whites. Overall, patterns throughout the decade suggest that pressures from parents, religious groups, and others either lead to a later age at first intercourse, or use of contraception, but not both. A notable exception is that increased maternal education leads to both a later age at first intercourse and a higher likelihood of using contraception at first intercourse.

Young adult occupational achievement : Early expectations versus behavioral reality

We examine the stability of occupational expectations during the first 7 years after high school and their correspondence with occupations held at age 30, using data from the Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Our results show substantial instability in occupational expectations during the late teen years and the early 20s. No matter when expectations are measured, even as late as age 25, fewer than half of the young men and women actually achieve their occupational expectations. When they do not achieve their expectations, the work role occupied at age 30 differs substantially by gender. Men tend to move to higher occupations or become managers; women tend to move down or leave the labor force. Socioeconomic status of family of orientation, high school achievement, and events in the family of procreation all have important effects on the process.

Household income and child survival in Egypt.

This article uses household-level economic and fertility survey data to examine the relationship between household income and child survival in Egypt. Income has little effect on infant mortality but is inversely related to mortality in early childhood. The relationship persists with other associated socioeconomic variables controlled. The mechanisms underlying the income effects are not evident from this analysis: income differentials in sources of household drinking water, type of toilet facilities, and maternal demographic characteristics do not explain the net impact of income on child mortality. The absence of effects on child survival of the size of the place of residence and the relatively weak effects of maternal schooling are also notable.

Friendships and early relationships: Links to sexual initiation among American adolescents born to young mothers

CONTEXT Preadolescent friendships and early teenage dating relationships have implications for adolescent sexual initiation that may differ by race and gender. METHODS Data on participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and their children are used to profile friendship and dating patterns among a sample of youth born to relatively young mothers. Logistic regression analyses examine whether these patterns predict early sexual initiation, and whether there are differences associated with gender and race. RESULTS As youth moved from late childhood to mid-adolescence, they shifted from having almost exclusively same-sex, same-grade friends to having more relationships with persons who are of the opposite sex and older. By ages 15-16,34% had had sexual intercourse; the proportion was significantly higher among blacks (45%) than among others (31%). Most adolescents reported neither frequent dating nor a steady partner by ages 15-16, although the prevalence of such reports was related to friendship patterns in late childhood. Twelve percent of youth who initiated sex in early adolescence did so outside of a dating relationship. For most subgroups examined, the odds of initiating intercourse during early adolescence were associated with going steady, but not with frequency of dating. CONCLUSIONS Prior social networking is an important element in predicting early sexual activity. Overall, youth whose mothers gave birth at young ages remain sexually inexperienced into middle adolescence, but certain subgroups are more likely than others to initiate early sexual activity.

Nonmarital Childbearing, Union History, and Women’s Health at Midlife

Despite high rates of nonmarital childbearing in the United States, little is known about the health of women who have nonmarital births. We use data from the NLSY79 to examine differences in age 40 self-assessed health between women who had a premarital birth and those whose first birth occurred within marriage. We then differentiate women with a premarital first birth according to their subsequent union histories and estimate the effect of marrying or cohabiting versus remaining never-married on midlife self-assessed health. We pay particular attention to the paternity status of a mother’s partner and the stability of marital unions. To partially address selection bias, we employ multivariate propensity score techniques. Results suggest that premarital childbearing is negatively associated with midlife health for white and black women, but not for Hispanic women. We find no evidence that the negative health consequences of nonmarital childbearing are mitigated by either marriage or cohabitation for black women. For other women, only enduring marriage to the child’s biological father is associated with better health than remaining unpartnered.

Fathers and absent fathers: Sociodemographic similarities in britain and the united states

Using data from the British Household Panel Survey and the National Survey of Families and Households in the United States, we present a sociodemographic profile of fathers and compare the determinants of absent fatherhood in each country. Although fatherhood has a younger profile in the United States, especially for blacks, predictors of fathers’ residency with their children are remarkably similar in the two countries. In both countries, the strongest predictor of a father’s absence is the parents’ relationship to each other at the time of the child’s birth. Policy implications of this finding are discussed.

Patterns of work and schooling in young adulthood

If the years of late adolescence and early adulthood are depicted as rocky, disorderly, and experimental, then how should the life course stage that immediately follows be characterized? Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972, we focus on work and school activities in the latter half of the young adult years (ages roughly 25–31) to empirically address whether the diversity of work and schooling patterns diminishes. Finding a lack of orderliness in work and schooling trajectories, and that holding two or more activities simultaneously is quite common, we question how this stage of the life course should be conceptualized. Moving away from the traditional sequential roles approach, we use multinomial logistic regression to differentiate among activity sequences commonly held by young men and women at these ages, and address how family of origin background factors and prior life experiences influence life course experiences in the later 20s and early 30s.

Juvenile Delinquency and Teenage Pregnancy A Comparison of Ecological Risk Profiles Among Midwestern White and Black Female Juvenile Offenders

The authors examined ecological risk factors associated with teen pregnancy with a sample of 1,190 court-involved female juvenile offenders between 11 and 18 years of age. Data were obtained from five Midwestern juvenile county courts using a recently developed youth risk assessment instrument called the global risk assessment device (GRAD). In line with past research on teen pregnancy, the authors found that young African American female offenders were three times more likely to have ever been pregnant than their European American counterparts. Factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) procedures were conducted to identify the ecological risk domains that differentiated groups of female juvenile offenders in the sample of this study, based on their pregnancy history and racial background. The findings of this study suggest that female offenders who had experienced a pregnancy had significantly higher levels of health-related risks as compared to their counterparts who had never been pregnant. Furthermore, regardless of their pregnancy history, White female offenders reported significantly greater involvement in substance abuse behaviors as compared to Blacks. Taken together, these findings underscore the need to utilize comprehensive risk assessments when designing integrated intervention programs that are tailored to the unique needs of young female offenders who are at risk for early pregnancies.