Patterns of Adult Male Coresidence Among Young Children of Adolescent Mothers

Keywords

coresidence pattern, adolescent mothers, fathering

Abstract

This article uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine the coresidence patterns of children and adult males during the first three years of a child's life, with special attention to the children of adolescent mothers. Overall, the most common experience was for the children to have an adult male present over the full period. However, there were differences by race and the mother's age when she gave birth. For example 83 percent of white children and 47 percent of black children born to mothers aged 20 or older lived with an adult male during their entire early childhood, while three quarters of white children and fewer than one-third of black children born to mothers younger than 18 had a male present in their household over their first three years. Among both races, children of older mothers were significantly more likely than others to be born into a household where an adult male was present. The stability of male coresidence varied significantly by the mother's age among white children, but not among blacks. Overall, black children experienced more changes in male coresidence than whites. Finally, the likelihood that the adult male would be married to the mother was positively associated with white race and the age of the mother when she gave birth.

Original Publication Citation

Eggebeen, D. J., Crockett, L. J., & Hawkins, A. J. (1990). Patterns of male co-residence for children of adolescent mothers. Family Planning Perspectives, 22, 219-223.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

1990

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7009

Publisher

Family Planning Perspectives

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS