Teenage family life, life chances, lifestyles, and health: a comparison of two contemporary cohorts

Ely, M., West, P., Sweeting, H. and Richards, M. (2000) Teenage family life, life chances, lifestyles, and health: a comparison of two contemporary cohorts. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 14(1), pp. 1-30. (doi: 10.1093/lawfam/14.1.1)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/lawfam/14.1.1

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to compare the association of family structure with outcomes for young people in living in the West of Scotland (the Twenty-07 Study, N=1009) with their contemporaries living in Britain (the 1970 British Cohort Study N=11615) in the mid-1980s. A wide range of measures were considered using educational achievement to represent life-chances, smoking and drinking to represent life styles and psychological well-being (GHQ) and physical symptoms to represent health. The associations of family structure with these outcomes is estimated for each Study at three levels: the overall association, that after controlling for gender and family income, and finally after controlling in addition for family processes. Odds ratios with 95 per cent confidence intervals are reported for those living in lone-parent households and reconstituted households each compared with intact families. Similar results are reported for those living in families disrupted by the death of a parent and for those whose parents had separated. No statistically significant differences (at the 5 per cent level) were found between the two studies in the adjusted models. The associations of family structure and reason for family disruption with outcomes for fifteen/sixteen year olds are similar in the West of Scotland to those in Britain as a whole.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Sweeting, Dr Helen
Authors: Ely, M., West, P., Sweeting, H., and Richards, M.
Subjects:H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Centre for Population and Health Sciences
College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
Journal Name:International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family
ISSN:1360-9939

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