Mother-only Households Research Articles

Household composition and child health in Botswana

BackgroundThere is a general lack of research on children’s household experiences and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examines the relationship between household composition, stunting and diarrhoea prevalence among children younger than 5 years of age in Botswana.MethodsThe analysis uses data from the 2007 Botswana Family Health Survey (BFHS) and multilevel logistic regression models.ResultsThe findings indicate that stunting varies by whom the child lives with. Stunting is higher among children living with no parents compared to those living with both parents. Stunting is also high among children living with unrelated household members. Similarly, children in households with a mother-only and with a grandparent present, have a higher level of stunting compared to those living with both parents. Conversely, living with an aunt and living with other relatives, protects against stunting. The findings on diarrhoea prevalence show that children living in mother-only households and those living with no parents are less likely to have diarrhoea than those living with both parents. Also, across all households, those who are more affluent have lower rates of child stunting and diarrhoea than those which are more deprived. Finally, the findings show a clustering effect at the household level for both stunting and diarrhoea prevalence.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that policies and programs aimed at reducing stunting and diarrhoea may work best if they target households and other adults co-residing in homes with children besides biological parents. Further, children who live in poorer households deserve special attention.

The impact of neighborhood disadvantage on health-related quality of life among African American and White cancer survivors

Following improvements in cancer survival rates quality of life (QOL) has become a key health outcome among cancer survivors. Neighborhood disadvantage has been shown to have a detrimental effect on health outcomes. To date, little is known regarding the influence of neighborhood disadvantage on the health-related QOL of cancer survivors. This study aimed to examine the associations between neighborhood disadvantage and health-related QOL among African American and White cancer survivors. Data were obtained from a retrospective survey study of African American (n=248) and White (n=244) cancer survivors. Physical (PHQOL) and mental health (MHQOL) QOL was measured by the Rand 36-Item Short Form. The neighborhood disadvantage index was created based four components, including prevalence of poverty, mother-only households, home ownership and the prevalence of college educated individuals living in the area. Covariates included demographic characteristics and clinical factors. To adjust the nesting effects of participants living in neighborhoods, a mixed effect linear regression model was conducted to test the association between neighborhood disadvantage and PHQOL and MHQOL after controlling for covariates. Regression results showed that patients living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods reported lower PHQOL than those in more advantaged places (β =−1.21, P=0.020). However, this relationship was not observed for MHQOL outcomes (β =−0.06, P=0.49). Race did not exert an independent influence on observed relationships. Study results contribute to a growing body of research documenting the detrimental effects of neighborhood disadvantage on cancer related outcomes.

Adolescent Cell Phone Communications with Mothers and Fathers: Content, Patterns, and Preferences

Adolescents participated in qualitative interviews (N = 40) and permitted researchers to check their cell phone histories (N = 35) for the content and frequency of text and call communications with parents. Communications focused predominantly on day-to-day “managerial” aspects of parent–child relationships but also facilitated emotional connections between adolescents and parents. Adolescents preferred to use texts to engage in managerial communications and calls to connect emotionally, but logistical constraints resulted in most cell phone communications between adolescents and parents involving calls. Participants communicated more with mothers than fathers, regardless of communication content or medium. This was true regardless of family structure, although gender-of-parent differences were accentuated for adolescents in mother-only households. This pattern was explained by both greater maternal accessibility and adolescent preferences for communication with mothers. Communications with fathers tended to occur either when mothers were not available or when the communication was focused on a highly specific set of stereotypically masculine content areas.

Parent-Child Connectedness and Long-Term Risk for Suicidal Ideation in a Nationally Representative Sample of US Adolescents.

Few studies have addressed on the role of parent-child connectedness (PCC) on adolescents' risk for suicidal ideation from a longitudinal, developmental perspective. This study examined PCC during adolescence and risk of suicidal ideation into adulthood among a nationally representative sample of American adolescents. The study includes 13,234 adolescents aged 11-18 from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) who were surveyed during adolescence (1994-1995) and then again in early adulthood (2008-2009). Multinomial logistic regression estimated the association between PCC during adolescence and having ideation during the adolescence period only, in adulthood only, and in both adolescence and adulthood as compared with those without suicidal ideation. After adjusting for depressive symptoms and other parent and adolescent characteristics, adolescents in two-parent households who reported higher PCC during adolescence had lower relative risk of having ideation during adolescence alone and in both adolescence and adulthood. In mother-only households, higher mother connectedness was also associated with decreased risk of having adolescent ideation. PCC is an important modifiable target for the prevention of suicidal ideation from adolescence into adulthood.

The Texas Response to Federal Privacy Jurisprudence

In 2012 over ten million children in the United States were living without their fathers. In 2013 over 1.8 million of those children were in Texas, living in mother-only households. Children are being deprived of a needed parent. Has the United States Supreme Court’s endorsement of the philosophy of individualism in its privacy jurisprudence contributed to this rise in fatherless households? This article will discuss the effects of that jurisprudence on the State of Texas and how Texas has responded. Part I of this article discusses the Supreme Court’s privacy jurisprudence. That examination will reveal a shift from the Court’s protection of families to a jurisprudential assault on families through judicial endorsement of extreme individualism. Part II examines the origins, philosophy, and effects of this individualism, including marital and family breakdown and father absence, specifically considering statistical and demographic evidence from Texas. Part III explains Texas’s response to that jurisprudence and the State’s efforts to protect life and family relationships. While Texas’s public policy has been to strengthen families and promote fatherhood in the State, the High Court’s privacy jurisprudence has divided family unity in favor of individualism, which is having a profound effect on children. This article illustrates that Texas is making efforts to counteract those effects.

Parent presence and gender-typicalness of educational choice1

Given parental influence on children's educational choices, new family constellations may impact on sex segregation in school and thus in the labour market. This paper addresses the question of what consequence father absence and stepfather presence may have for choice of the male-dominated natural science/technology (NT) programme in Swedish upper secondary school. The data include register information on all pupils who attended the ninth grade of the Swedish compulsory school in 1998 and 1999 and their parents (n = 73,824). While children in mother-only households are less likely to choose the NT programme compared with children residing with two original parents, this is accounted for by differences in socioeconomic conditions and in grade sum. Fathers, like mothers, also have a more direct influence on children's educational choices of field of study via their own education and occupation. However, what has not been noted in previous research is that this also applies to 'absent' fathers and, for boys, to stepfathers as well.

Children's living arrangements from a social policy implementation perspective

This paper examines changes in children's living arrangements nationally over a 10-year period as a function of changes in state policies governing AFDC, child support enforcement and divorce laws. The study uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) for the years 1984–1993 and analyzes a pooled sample of 79 729 children who lived in one of three major arrangements: with both biological parents, with biological mother only and with neither biological parents. Using a multinomial logit model, the study finds that some government policies appear to exert an influence on children's living arrangement. Specifically, the study finds that for both black and white children, stronger child support enforcement by a state lowers the probability of the children living in mother-only or neither parent households. In addition, for black children, higher AFDC benefit levels are found to foster mother-only households.

Father-Only and Mother-Only, Single-Parent Family Status of Black Girls and Achievement in Grade Twelve and at Two-Years Post High School

Over the past three decades, there have been dramatic demographic changes in the number of children being reared by a single parent. New arguments and discussions about the pathologies of families have intensified and new questions regarding the impact of having children reared by their mothers without their fathers present have arisen along with this demographic shift. Much of the research on single-parent families has tended to focus on male children and adolescents and has neglected the experience of females in these groups. A secondary data analysis, using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), examines the relative effect on 12th grade educational achievement in 1992 and two years after high school in 1994 of being in a single-parent, mother-only or father-only family for girls in 8th grade in 1988. Findings show that, for these girls (a) parental configuration was not as significant a predictor of achievement as was socioeconomic status; (b) in 12th grade in 1992, the students in mother-only households outperformed their counterparts in father-only households; and (c) in 1994 the parental configuration differences disappeared when socioeconomic status was held constant. These results are similar to results reported for males based on the NELS data. The implications of these results for interpreting the impact of single-parenting on achievement in girls are discussed. INTRODUCTION Family configuration and a variety of parental behaviors are important influences on development (Baumrind, 1989; Brody & Flor, 1997; Coates, 1985; Maccoby & Martin, 1983). Early in the 20th century, family configuration in families was the focus of heated social science debate. Noted sociologist E. F. Frazier claimed that a large proportion of households were femalecentered due to out-of-wedlock births which led to family disorganization and transmission of disorganized family norms from one generation to the next (Frazier, 1939). Frazier's theories, as well as well-documented political and social views of the time, led to the wide-spread notion that families were both female-headed and dysfunctional. In 1965, Moynihan reinforced this view, linking pathology with female-headed families, by proposing that families were matriarchal which, consequently, caused boys in these families to grow up lacking adequate role models for healthy adult masculinity. The wellknown Moynihan report led to three assumptions that influenced research on families for decades: (a) two-parent families, headed by men, are better than one-parent families; (b) single women are unskilled parents and this notably affects boys; and (c) female-headed families are a deviant cultural norm and, therefore, transmit deviancy to children that negatively influences aspirations and social roles (Moynihan, 1965). There continues to be an ongoing debate about the influence of the single-parent family on a child's development but few studies have examined the impact of single parenting on girls (Collins, 1993; Dickerson, 1995). Demographers have reported a major difference in parental configuration for contemporary families described as or majority and those described as Black or minority. The proportion of children living with one parent rose during the past quarter century and the proportion living with two parents decreased from 82% to 69%. Notably, the percentage of children living with two parents declined to 35%. This was a 16-point decline from 1975 to 1998 compared to a 10-point decline to 79% for White children (Hernandez, 2000; Ruggles, 1994). Over 90% of children will live in families headed by a female at some point in their lives (Hill, 1999). FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS AND ACHIEVEMENT IN BLACK FAMILIES Academic achievement in adolescents has been of long-standing interest in academia. …

The invisible gender: educational outcomes for African American females in father-only versus mother-only households

In the last three decades, we have witnessed dramatic demographic changes in the number of African American children raised by a single parent. During this period, the majority of scholarly work has focused on African American males raised in mother-only households. Missing from this important discussion is the influence of other types of African American single parent households on African American females. Using a nationally representative sample of eighth grade students from the National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS), this research examines the relative effects of being in a single parent mother-only versus father-only household on the educational achievement of African American middle-grade females ( N = 63,090). Findings are that: (1) females in mother-only households perform less well than their counterparts in father-only households; (2) socioeconomic status is over three times more important than household type in predicting educational outcomes; (3) females in mother-only households get a greater return for increases in socioeconomic status than their counterparts in father-only households; and (4) race, gender, and class are simultaneously intersecting categories/relations in the family experiences and educational achievement processes of African American females.

Divorce-Related Transitions, Adolescent Development, and the Role of the Parent-Child Relationship: A Review of the Literature

For the adolescent undergoing multiple developmental changes, divorce and its related transitions present additional challenges, promoting growth for some and constituting developmental vulnerabilities for others. A review of the literature on adolescent development, family relationships, and the impact of divorce on adolescents reveals that adolescents experience divorce differently than younger children and that a positive parent-adolescent relationship can ameliorate the negative effects of divorce. Major gaps in the literature, particularly in the areas of differential effects for ethnic and minority youth and families and the effect of diverse family configurations on development, are identified. Specific suggestions for further research are proposed. Key Words: adolescent development, divorce, parent-child relationships. Due to the continuing high rates of divorce, reconstituted families, shared custody, and single-parent homes have become commonplace in the lives of children and adolescents (Cherlin, 1992). In contemporary research, divorce and remarriage are viewed not as single, static events, but as part of a series of transitions, modifying the lives of children (Hetherington, 1989; Wallerstein & Johnston, 1990). In addition to the trauma of divorce itself (i.e., the conflict between parents that often precedes, accompanies, and follows divorce, the possible loss and diminished contact with a parent, the potential of diminished parent effectiveness, and decreases in economic support), divorcerelated transitions often involve geographic moves, the addition of stepsiblings, and a new set of extended family members. Divorce followed by remarriage can involve the introduction of parent figures with multiple roles and overlapping relationships. Taken together, these divorce-related factors have a direct impact on the life courses of children and may be especially challenging for the adolescent who is simultaneously involved in critical developmental transitions (Anderson, Hetherington, & Clingempeel, 1989; Hetherington, Stanley-Hagan, & Anderson, 1989; Springer & Wallerstein, 1983; Wallerstein & Kelly, 1980). For the adolescent undergoing multiple developmental changes, divorce and its related transitions present additional challenges, promoting growth for some and constituting developmental vulnerabilities for others (Hetherington & Anderson, 1987). As a consequence of altered family structure, patterns, and routines, some adolescents acquire certain strengths, notably a sense of responsibility and competence (Demo & Acock, 1988). Another body of research has found that multiple life transitions occurring in a relatively short time place certain adolescents at risk (Rutter, 1981, 1987; Simmons & Blyth, 1989). Studies in this vein reveal that a high percentage of adolescents in residential treatment homes are from families disrupted by separation or divorce (Glick, 1984). Research on antisocial behavior among adolescents has found that adolescents in mother-only households and in conflict-ridden families are more likely to commit delinquent acts (Demo & Acock, 1988). These findings on the negative effect of multiple, stressful events have been corroborated by those from large national surveys that reveal that, compared with youngsters from families with two biological parents, more than twice as many adolescents from divorced families have seen mental health professionals (Zill, 1988; Zill & Peterson,1983). The literature on adolescent development traditionally has emphasized the important role the family plays in negotiating various transitions encountered during this phase, including the formation of a sexual identity (Freud, 1958) and a sense of self (Erikson, 1968), in shaping future life choices and in forming values (Blos, 1979). More recently, the family, especially the parent-child relationship, has been viewed as the main source of support for the adolescent (Feldman & Elliott, 1990), acting as a buffer to help ameliorate some of the stress encountered during this period (Garmezy & Rutter, 1983). …

Female Headship, Feminization of Poverty and Welfare

Female-headed households are at greater risk of slipping into poverty than male-headed households. Indeed, sex and marital status of the head of household are the most important determinants of a family's poverty status in the US. Divorce, separation, death of a husband, and out-of-wedlock births can lead to female headship. Transfer payments, especially the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program, are blamed for contributing to increased marital instability and out-of-wedlock births. The authors examined the role of welfare benefits in influencing female headship. Preliminary results using standard estimation procedures indicate that transfers do not significantly influence female headship. Standard estimation procedures are, however, erroneous because they ignore differences in propensities to establish mother-only households. Therefore, adjusting for differences in propensities to establish female-headed households, the level of welfare benefits is indeed an important factor in explaining the variation in the changes in the birth rates to unmarried women. The use of a weighted measure suggests that welfare benefits, by increasing female headship of women who otherwise have low propensities to be female heads, have played a significant role in the feminization of poverty.

Teenage Motherhood, Mother-Only Households, and Teacher Expectations

Abstract In two studies, the authors examined teachers' academic expectations for students who differed by (a) racial group (Anglo-American vs. African American), (b) gender, (c) SES, (d) parental structure (2-parent vs. mother-only families), and (e) whether or not female students were teenage mothers. SES and teenage motherhood proved the strongest predictors of expectations. For girls, having a child resulted in lower expectations for high school grades, likelihood of finishing high school, and going on to college. The negative effect of teenage motherhood increased as the predicted event became more distant in the future. Students coming from middle-class families were expected to be more academically successful than were students coming from lower class homes. Higher expectations were reported for students from middle-class families where only the father worked outside the home than for students from middle-class families where both parents worked outside the home. Among boys, these differences were ...

A Comparison of Two Works on Black Family Life

After twenty-one years in the making, the film version of Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 labor report, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, has been televised as Bill Moyers's special report "The Vanishing Family: Crisis in Black Amerca."' The television documentary bears little stylistic resemblance to its predecessor, but the message in these two works is strikingly similar. The Moynihan report and the Moyers documentary both contend that growing numbers of African-Americans no longer ascribe to certain fundamental American values and therefore exhibit behaviors that

Single Parents, Extended Households, and the Control of Adolescents

This paper uses a representative national sample of adolescents to study the interrelationships among family structure, patterns of family decision making, and deviant behavior among adolescents. Mother-only households are shown to be associated with particular patterns of family decision making and adolescent deviance, even when family income and parental education are controlled. In contrast to adolescents in households with 2 natural parents, youth in mother-only households are perceived as more likely to make decisions without direct parental input and more likely to exhibit deviant behavior. The presence of an additional adult in a mother-only household, especially for males, is associated with increased parental control and a reduction in various forms of adolescent deviance. Finally, patterns of family decision making and family structure both make independent contributions to adolescent deviance, and the impact of family structure on deviance of adolescent males is hardly affected by controlling for patterns of family decision making.