Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Factors affecting early family formation: A path model

  • Published:
Population and Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The age at which women initiate family formation has important social and economic implications. To explore factors that determine age at initiation of childbearing, a non-recursive path model was estimated using data for young women in the National Longitudinal Survey. Results suggest that the young woman's family of orientation has important effects on the age at which she begins family building, but that the process is not simple or direct. Age at first marriage, educational attainment, and age at family formation are strongly interdependent; however, the process seems to vary by race.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alwin, F. and Hauser, R.M. The Decomposition of Effects in Path Analysis.American Sociological Review February, 1975,40 37–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R.P. and Van Loo, M.F. Toward a General Theory of Fertility: A Causal Modeling Approach.Demography August, 197815 301–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barglow, P., Bornstein, M., Exum, D.B., Wright, M.K., and Visotsky, H.M. Some Psychiatric Aspects of Illegitimate Pregnancy in Early Adolescence.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry July, 1968,38 672–687.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blau, P.M. and Duncan, O.D.The American Occupational Structure. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonham, G.S. Who Adopts: The Relationship of Adoption and Social-Demographic Characteristics of Women.Journal of Marriage and The Family, May, 1977, 295–306.

  • Bumpass, L.L. Data Relevant to Socialization in the U.S. National Fertility Surveys. Honolulu: East-West Population Institute, Number 36, December, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Card, J., and Wise, L.L. Teenage Mothers and Teenage Fathers: The Impact of Early Childbearing on the Parents' Personal and Professional Lives.Family Planning Perspectives July/August 1978,10 199–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Card, J.J.Consequences of Adolescent Childbearing for the Young Parent's Future Personal and Professional Life. Palo Alto: American Institutes for Research, June, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clausen, A. and Clausen, S.R. The Effects of Family Size on Parents and Children.Psychological Perspectives on Population. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1973, 185–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, O.D.Introduction to Structural Equation Models. New York: Academic Press, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fox, G.L. The Family's Role in Adolescent Sexual Behavior. Working Draft Prepared for Family Impact Seminar Workshop on Teenage Pregnancy, Washington, D.C. October 23–24, 1978.

  • Furstenberg, F.F. Jr., The Social Consequences of Teenage Parenthood.Family Planning Perspectives. July/August, 1976,8 148–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gustavus, S.O. Fertility Socialization Research in the United States: A Progress Report. Honolulu: East-West Population Institute, Number 35, July, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glick, P.C., and Norton, A.Marrying, Divorcing, and Living Together in the U.S. Today. Washington, D.C.: Population Reference Bureau, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanushek, E.A. and Jackson, J.E.Statistical Methods for Social Scientists. New York: Academic Press, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heise, D.R.Causal Analysis. New York: Wiley, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofferth, S.L., Moore, K.A. and Caldwell, S.B. The Consequences of Age At First Childbirth: Labor Force Participation and Earnings. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, August, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofferth, S.L. and Moore, K.A. Early Childbearing and Later Economic Well-Being,American Sociological Review, 1979, 44.

  • Hoffman, L.W. Effects on Child.Working Mothers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1974, 126–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessor, S.L. and Jessor, R. Transition from Virginity to NonVirginity Among Youth: A Social-Psychological Study Over Time.Development Psychology. 1975,11 473–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, N. and Stokes, C.S. Family Size in Successive Generations: The Effects of Birth Order, Intergenerational Change in Lifestyle, and Family satisfaction.Demography. May, 1976,13 175–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, J.Econometric Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantner, J.F., and Zelnik, M. Sexual Experience of Young Unmarried Women in the United States.Family Planning Perspectives October 1972,4 9–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marini, M.M. The Transition to Adulthood: Sex Differences in Educational Attainment and Age at Marriage.American Sociological Review. August 1978,43 483–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marini, M.M., Olsen, A.R. and Rubin, D.B. Maximum Likelihood Estimation in Panel Studies with Missing Data.Sociological Methodology, forthcoming.

  • Mason, K.O., Czajka, J.L. and Arber, S. Change in U.S. Women's Sex-Role Attitudes, 1964–1974.American Sociological Review August 1976,41 573–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, W.B. Sexuality, Contraception and Pregnancy in a High-School Population.California Medicine August 1973,119 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K.A. and Hofferth, S.L. The Consequences of Age at First Childbirth: Family Size. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, July, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K.A., Waite, L.J., Caldwell, S.B. and Hofferth, S.L. The Consequences of Age at First Childbirth: Educational Attainment. Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, August, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K.A., Caldwell, S.B., Hofferth, S.L. and Waite, L.J. The Consequences of Early Childbearing, Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, August, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K.A., and Caldwell, S.B. The Effect of Government Policies on Out-of-Wedlock Sex and Pregnancy.Family Planning Perspectives July/August, 1977,9 164–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mott, F.L. and Shaw, L.B. The Transition from School to Adulthood. A paper presented at the Conference on Young Women and Employment presented by the Women's Bureau in conjunction with the Office of Youth Programs, the Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., May 1–2, 1978.

  • Presser, H.B. Social Consequences of Teenage Childbearing. A paper presented at the Conference on the Consequences of Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing, held in Bethesda, Maryland, October 29 and 30, 1975.

  • Public Health Service.Monthly Vital Statistics Report: Advance Report-Final Natality Statistics, 1976. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, March 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  • Public Health Service. Teenage Childbearing: United States, 1966–75.Monthly Vital Statistics Report: Natality Statistics. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics, September 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rindfuss, R.R. "Changes in the Timing of Fertility: Implications for Industrialized Societies." Paper is presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, San Francisco, August, 1978.

  • Rindfuss, R.R. and Sweet, J.A.Postwar Fertility Trends and Differentials in the United States. New York: Academic Press, Inc., 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stolzenberg, R.M. and Waite, L.J. Age, Fertility Expectations and Plans for Employment.American Sociological Review October 1977,42 769–783.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, D.L., Weigert, A.J. and Winston, N. Socialization and Parental Identification: A Cross National Analysis. Family Research Center, Brigham Young University, undated.

  • Trussell, J. and Menken, J. Early Childbearing and Subsequent Fertility.Family Planning Perspectives July/August 1978,10 209–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Bureau of the Census.Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1977. (98th edition). Washington, D.C., 1977.

  • Vickery, C. Women's Economic Contribution to the Family.The Subtle Revolution: Women at Work, Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, 1979, 158–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voss, P.R.Social Determinants of Age at First Marriage in the U.S. University of Michigan Ph.d., 1975, Sociology, individual and family studies.

  • Waite, L.J. and Moore, K.A. The Impact of an Early First Birth on Young Women's Educational Attainment.Social Forces March 1978,56 845–865.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waite, L.J. and Stolzenberg, R.M. Intended Childbearing and Labor Force Participation of Young Women: Insights From Nonrecursive Models.American Sociological Review. April 1976,41 235–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westoff, C.F. The Decline of Unplanned Births in the United States.Science. January 9, 1976,191 38–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westoff, C.F. Marriage and Fertility in the Developed Countries.Scientific American December, 1978,239 51–57.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urban Institute, USA

    Kristin A. Moore & Sandra L. Hofferth

Authors
  1. Kristin A. Moore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sandra L. Hofferth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Kristin A. Moore and Sandra L. Hofferth are affiliated with the Urban Institute, 2100 M. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Requests for reprints should be directed to Kristin Moore.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moore, K.A., Hofferth, S.L. Factors affecting early family formation: A path model. Popul Environ 3, 73–98 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01253071

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01253071

Keywords

Search

Navigation