4.29 Marital Status, Marital Transitions & Attitudes

This section reviews the marital status and transition data available for NLSY79 respondents.

Marital Status: Marital status information for NLSY79 respondents is available from (1) responses to questions fielded during the annual or biennial surveys; (2) two sets of created variables specifying marital status as of the interview date; and (3) an item on the marital status of each respondent as of the previous interview derived from the interviewing aid called the Information Sheet.

The marital status of each respondent, i.e., whether he or she was married, widowed, divorced, separated, or never married, was collected during the 1979 survey and is available as a single variable, ‘Marital Status.’ The 1980–87 interviews collected change in marital status information. During the 1988 and subsequent surveys, ‘Current Marital Status’ interview checks are included in the questionnaire to verify separately the marital status of respondents who report a change in status since the date of last interview and respondents who do not.

Two created variables provide data on the respondent’s marital status, incorporating any changes, as of each interview date. The first set of yearly created ‘Marital Status’ variables is constructed with coding categories of “never married,” “married,” “separated,” “divorced,” and “widowed.” Although two additional categories, “remarried” and “reunited,” are present within the “Marital History” section of the questionnaire, those respondents who are remarried or reunited are simply coded as “married” in the created variable series. A collapsed version of this variable that codes the respondent’s status as “never married,” “married spouse present,” or “other” is also available. Prior to 1988, marital status was created based on the last actual stated change in marital status. Marital status for 1988 and subsequent survey years has been created from the interview checks mentioned above. Since 1980, a marital status variable has been available from each interview’s Information Sheet. This variable reflects the respondent’s current marital status as of the date of the last interview. Coding categories are similar to those for the created marital status variables but differ slightly across years.

In addition to these data, information is available on respondents’ age at first marriage, the presence of opposite-sex partners, and the marital status of household members. The ‘Age Began 1st Marriage’ variable series has been created for 1982 through the present from the created ‘Month/Year Began 1st Marriage’ variables (see “Marital Transitions” below) and from the 1979 date of birth.  

Prior to 1982, presence of a partner was indicated by an interview check coded “yes” if the respondent lived with one unrelated adult of the opposite sex (‘Int Check - Does R Live With Opposite Sex Adult as a Partner’). From 1982–86, Version C of the Household Interview Form, completed by those who lived in their own dwelling unit or in military family housing, asked those respondents who were living with at least one unrelated adult of the opposite sex but no spouse whether they lived with a partner. Since 1987, only one version of the Household Interview Form has been used; all respondents not living with a spouse have been asked about opposite-sex partners. The partner variable originating from the household interview is titled ‘Currently Living as Partner with Opposite Sex Adult’.

The marital status of household members is available from the 1978 household screening only, e.g. ‘Household Screener: Family Member #1 - Marital Status.’ Categories include “presently married,” “widowed,” “divorced,” “separated,” and “never married/annulled.”

Marital History/Transitions: A series of edited Supplemental Fertility File variables (area of interest “Fertility and Relationship History/Created”) that reflects the beginning and ending dates of marriages was constructed for 1982 through the present. These variables include the month and year the respondent began a first, second, or, beginning in 1988, a third marriage and the month and year a first or second marriage ended, e.g., ‘Month Began 1st Marriage.’ Unedited data items from 1979 include ‘Number of Marriages,’ ‘Month/Year of 1st/Most Recent Marriage,’ and ‘Month/Year During Which 1st Marriage Ended.’ For all subsequent years, ‘Change(s) in Marital Status Since Last Interview’ are described. Users should note that a separate category for the transition to “reunited” was not added until the 1981 survey. Evaluations of the marital history data for the NLSY79 can be found in Haurin (1988, 1994). A related variable, also located in the “Fertility and Relationship History/Created” area of interest, provides the number of months between the respondent’s first marriage and the birth of the respondent’s first child.

Cohabitation: The following cohabitation information is available from the 1990 and 1992–2004 surveys: (1) the month and year the respondent and his or her opposite-sex partner began living together; (2) whether the respondent lived with his or her spouse before marriage; (3) the month and year the respondent and his or her spouse began living together; and (4) whether the respondent and his or her spouse lived together continuously until marriage. A household member’s relationship to the respondent may be listed as “partner” in the “Household Record” portion of the Face Sheet, which is filled out during the yearly household interview. This is true regardless of whether the “partner” is of the same or opposite sex as the respondent. However, through 1996 only opposite-sex partners are referenced during the interview for questions relating to household, income, and dating/relationship. After 1998 information on all partners is collected.

Spousal Characteristics: Information collected as part of the household roster is available for spouses and partners at each survey point if they are listed as members of the household. Users first need to identify the appropriate relationship to the respondent (i.e., code “1” for spouse; code “33” for partner) via variables that are specific for this purpose. Typically, information on the age, relationship to respondent, highest grade of schooling completed, and employment in the past calendar year is collected during each survey. See the various topical sections of this guide, such as "Age," "Educational Status and Attainment," and "Household Composition" for information on specific characteristics.

In addition to information available via the household roster, across time, additional information has been collected on the spouse as part of the “Marital History” section of the questionnaire. The month and year of birth of the most recent spouse has been collected at each interview. For respondents who are widowed, the month and year of their spouse’s death is available as part of the marriage end dates collected in the core marital transition history for each survey.

From 1980 to 1982, questions were included that updated the spouse’s educational enrollment status and additional education completed since the last survey. Since 1979, information has been collected during each interview on the usual occupation of the spouse (Census 3-digit code), weeks worked in the past year, hours worked per week in the past year, number of weeks not working in the past year, and number of weeks the spouse was looking for work or on layoff. In 1982 and 1998–2004 respondents answered questions concerning their new spouse’s current religious affiliation, attendance at religious services, and religion in which the spouse was raised. During the 1982 interview, information was gathered on whether the spouse had a health condition that limited the amount or kind of work he or she could do, the month and year the health condition began, and the effect of the spouse’s health condition on the respondent’s work (e.g., prevent work; work more or fewer hours; or affect the schedule, kind, or location of the respondent’s work).

Beginning with the 1986 survey, data on the kind of employment shift worked by the spouse has been collected. This information began with a single question eliciting the type of shift (e.g., regular day, evening, split, or hours vary) in 1986 and has gradually expanded to include questions on the time the spouse usually begins and ends work on the principal job in past calendar year as well as other details. Similarly, in 1990 a series of questions was added to the “Marital History” section of the questionnaire that collects information on the rate of pay at the spouse’s current job. This series also began with only a few questions and has expanded to gather significantly more detail, such as information on overtime pay, etc. Users should consult each relevant survey year’s questionnaire or codebook to ascertain the specific items collected in the given year. Information on income has been selectively collected for the respondent’s spouse or partner. Users should see the topical section on "Income" in this guide for further details.

Marital Attitudes and Expectations: A series of relationship satisfaction questions were asked during the 1988, 1992, and 1994–2004 interviews of those mothers living with a spouse or opposite-sex partner. These questions dealt with both positive and negative interactions in the relationship, e.g., ‘Frequency R and Husband/Partner Calmly Discuss Something’ and ‘Frequency R and Husband/Partner Argue About - Money.’ In addition, mothers without a spouse or partner were asked for information on ‘Frequency R Goes Out on Dates,’ whether the ‘Oldest Child Encourage(s) R’s Dating,’ and ‘Likelihood of Marriage in the Future.’ In 1979, all never married respondents were asked for information on ‘Age Expects to Marry.’

Environmental Characteristic Data: For the 1979–82 interview years, the Geocode CD includes marriage and divorce rates and percent of families with female heads of household for the county and SMSA in which the respondent resided. These statistics are taken from the 1972 and 1977 County & City Data Books. From 1983 until 1998, marriage and divorce rates and the number of families with a female head are included for county of residence only, based on statistics from the 1983 and 1988 County & City Data Books. The 2000 release includes the same information based on statistics from the 1988 and 1994 County & City Data Books.

Survey Instruments: The “Marital History” section (Section 2) of the questionnaire has collected information on each respondent’s marital history as of 1979, as well as all subsequent changes in marital status. Questions regarding presence of an opposite-sex partner in the household are located on the Household Interview Forms (Version C for 1982–86). The 1979–81 interview checks on partners can be found in the “Assets and Income” section. The 1988, 1992, and 1994–2004 dating and relationship series for mothers can be found in Section 10, “Childcare.” The 1979 marriage expectations questions are located in Section 22, “Aspirations and Expectations.” The set of 1979 variables on marital status of household members was derived from the 1978 Household Screener. Copies of the yearly Information Sheet, from which the previous interview marital status variables are derived, can be found near the beginning of the yearly Question by Question Specifications (Q by Q) for all survey years except 1980 and 1988. Information Sheet marital status variables by reference number are available within the documentation package for 1988 and subsequent years.

Documentation: Information on the creation of the marital status and collapsed marital status variables is presented in the “User Notes” below. General information regarding creation of the Supplemental Fertility File (area of interest “Fertility and Relationship History/Created”), including marital transition data, age at first marriage, and months between first marriage and first birth, is found in  "Appendix 5: Supplemental Fertility Files" in the NLSY79 Codebook Supplement.

Data Files: The “Key Variables” area of interest includes the created marital status variables. Raw data on marriages, marital status changes, and spouse characteristics, along with the 1988, 1992, and 1994–2004 series on attitudes of mothers, are located in the “Marriage” area of interest. Variables from the Information Sheet can be found in “Last Interview Information.” Variables on the presence of an opposite-sex partner are included in the “Misc. xxxx” area of interest, except for the 1979–81 interview checks, which are located in “Income.” Variables for marital status of household members from the Household Screener are located in “Misc. 1979.” Constructed marital history/transitions, age at first marriage, and months between first marriage and first birth variables are in “Fertility and Relationship History/Created.” The 1979 question about expected age of marriage can be found in “Attitude.” Marriage/divorce rate variables for respondents’ area of residence are located in the yearly “Geocode xxxx” areas of interest available on the Geocode CD.

Table 4.29.1 Expanded and Collapsed Marital Status: NLSY79 1992

Comparison to Other NLS Cohorts: Information on marital status, history, and transitions has been collected for each cohort. For more information, refer to the BLS website at http://www.bls.gov/nls or the appropriate cohort’s User’s Guide.

References

Haurin, R. Jean. “Inconsistencies in the NLSY79 Marital History Data—1986 Supplemental Fertility File.” Columbus, OH: CHRR, The Ohio State University, 1988.

Haurin, R. Jean. “Marriage and Childbearing of Adults: An Evaluation of the 1992 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.” Columbus, OH: CHRR, The Ohio State University, 1994.

Mott, Frank L. "Selected Mother and Child Tabulations from the 1984 (Sixth Wave) Survey of the National Longitudinal Study of Work Experience of Youth." Columbus, OH: CHRR, The Ohio State University, 1988.