Using four rounds of nationally representative U.S. panel survey data (NLSY97) and fixed-effects models, this study examines whether and how transitions to marriage/cohabitation/parenthood are associated with gender-specific changes in meal-skipping patterns. Two theoretical perspectives, social control and time scarcity, provide different explanations of how family formation relates to meal skipping. However, empirical research examining the association using a nationally representative sample is scarce. Results indicate that the transitions to romantic relationships (either marriage or cohabitation) are associated with less frequent meal skipping, consistent with social control theory, but in ways that differ by gender. The transition to marriage is associated with reduced meal skipping only for men, whereas the transition to cohabitation is associated with reduced meal skipping to some extent for women. The transition to parenthood has distinctive consequences for women’s meal patterns. Specifically, having two or more children at home is associated with increased meal skipping only for women, which can be explained by the time scarcity perspective. This study reveals that the consequences of family formation on health-related behaviors are gender specific and not universally positive, highlighting women’s persistent role as the primary caregiver for the family.
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