Family Structure, Infant Health, and Social Context in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States

Emma Romell, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lidia Panico , Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) - Sciences Po; INED
Melissa L. Martinson, University of Washington, Seattle

Studies link family structure to children’s wellbeing, but few examine infants or are comparative in nature. Using three nationality-representative datasets and decomposition techniques, we compare family structure inequalities in birth weight and gestational age in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Initial results pertain to France and the UK. We find inequalities in infant health (benefiting married families) in both countries, but smaller raw gaps across family structures in France. Differences in group composition drive gaps in both countries; differences in the relationships between covariates and infant health matter uniquely in the UK. Mechanisms linking family structure and infant health also vary across countries. In full models, infants born to single and cohabiting mothers in the U.K. are healthier than those born to married mothers. Overall, this project contributes to research on the significance of family structure at the beginning of children’s lives and the contextual nature of family types.

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 Presented in Session P2. Health, Mortality, Ageing - Aperitivo