Research Update: Cohabitation—What Can We Learn From the Latest Research Findings?
There is a spectrum of choices people make from being single to living together to being married, and there are varying reasons behind each living arrangement decision. The decision to live together often seems to be a gradual decision as opposed to a deliberate choice (“sliding” vs. “deciding”).
NHMRC Bibliography: Marriage in Later Life: A Review of the Research
Scholarly Summaries of Research on Later-Life Marriage and Family Life Over the years, a number of scholars have summarized, synthesized, and critiqued the research on later-life marriage and family life. The references below are excellent sources for further information.
Alcohol Abuse and Relationships: Implications for Relationship and Marriage Education. Research Brief
Alcohol abuse affects millions of families either directly or indirectly, and the abuse of legal substances is a prominent concern for public health officials throughout the world (Corroa, et al., 2000; World Health Organization [WHO], 2004; WHO, 1997). According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services […]
Juvenile Delinquency and Family Structure: Implications for Marriage and Relationship Education. Research Brief
This brief shares research findings on juvenile delinquency, explores the association between juvenile delinquency and family structure, and discusses implications for marriage education programs. Statistics are reported from a 20-year longitudinal study that indicate boys who grew up without their biological father in the home were three times more likely to commit a crime that […]
Making the Connection Between Healthy Marriage and Health Outcomes: What the Research Says
This research brief explores the effects of marital quality on health. It begins by citing research that getting married and being married is linked to many positive physical and mental health outcomes. Reasons for the link between marriage and good health are then explored, including the “”selection effect”” that occurs when people who are inherently […]
Recent Changes in Family Structure: Implications for Children, Adults, and Society
This brief reviews trends in family structure in the United States and implications for children, adults, and society. Data is shared on rates of divorce, nonmarital births, and nonmarital cohabitation. Statistics are cited that indicate the probability of marriages ending in divorce increased more or less continuously until 1990 and then stabilized; between 43% and […]
Healthy Marriage and Relationship Programs: A Promising Strategy for Strengthening Families. NHMRC Discussion Paper
In the late 1990s, a handful of states began to fund healthy marriage and relationship (HMR) programs and initiatives intended as a promising new strategy for strengthening families and improving child well-being. The states were soon followed by the federal government, which launched a healthy marriage initiative in 2002. The following questions initially were raised […]
Where Do “”Domestic Violence”” Statistics Come From and Why Do They Vary So Much? NHMRC and NRCDV Brief
Domestic violence advocates and family violence researchers often appear to contradict each other when they describe and report on the extent and nature of intimate partner violence. Although the term “”domestic violence”” has a very clear specific meaning to advocates working in the domestic violence field, it is used in other ways in other contexts […]
Tribal Marital Systems. Research Brief
There are 4.3 million Native Americans in the United States. They represent 562 different tribes and speak 292 different languages. Yet, they make up only 1.5% of the total U.S. population and are the second smallest ethnic group in the U.S. This Research Brief is designed to offer an overview of the health and socioeconomic […]