ERIC Number: EJ812065
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0192-513X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Family Structure and Children's Health and Behavior: Data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families
Wen, Ming
Journal of Family Issues, v29 n11 p1492-1519 2008
Using data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families, this research investigates the association and pathways between family structure and child well-being among children age 6 to 17. Three indicators of child well-being are examined: parent-rated health, limiting health conditions, and child behavior. Results show that both stepfamilies and intact families are advantageous relative to single-parent families. Family socioeconomic status (SES) and social capital are important factors of child well-being and help explain family structure effects. Family SES seems to have a stronger mediating effect than social capital. However, after simultaneously modeling these hypothesized mediators, significant differences in aspects of child well-being across family types persist in most cases. Findings support the idea that differences in child well-being across family types are considerably but not entirely accounted for by family SES, parental participation in religious services, parent-child relationship, and child engagement in extracurricular activities. (Contains 4 tables and 6 notes.)
Descriptors: National Surveys, One Parent Family, Child Health, Child Behavior, Socioeconomic Status, Social Capital, Extracurricular Activities, Relationship, Family Structure, Children, Well Being, Parent Child Relationship, Adolescent Development
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

Peer reviewed
Direct link
