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Author: Su, Jessica Houston
Resulting in 10 citations.
1. Addo, Fenaba
Su, Jessica Houston
Unintended Fertility, Wealth, and Wealth Trajectories of U.S. Adult Mothers
Presented: Denver CO, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2018
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Fertility; First Birth; Modeling, Growth Curve/Latent Trajectory Analysis; Mothers; Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The ability to control the timing and spacing of children is related to several aspects of economic and social mobility for women. Although a large body of research has evaluated socioeconomic outcomes related to access to contraception and teen childbearing, there is little research on (1) unplanned childbearing among adults and (2) the relationship between unintended childbearing and wealth trajectories. Using linear hierarchical growth curve models and panel data from the 1979 cohort of the NLSY (N=1,696), we estimate the wealth trajectories of U.S. mothers after the birth of their first child. Our analysis has three main results. First, mothers who had an unintended first birth have lower wealth than mothers who had a planned birth and these wealth disparities grow over time. Second, group differences in social and economic status explain half of the observed wealth differences. Third, the wealth trajectories of mothers with mistimed births decline over time.
Bibliography Citation
Addo, Fenaba and Jessica Houston Su. "Unintended Fertility, Wealth, and Wealth Trajectories of U.S. Adult Mothers." Presented: Denver CO, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2018.
2. Su, Jessica Houston
Better for Baby? Premarital Conceptions, Shotgun Marriage, and Child Well-Being among Children Born to Young Mothers
Presented: San Francisco CA, Population Association of America Meetings, May 2012
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Childbearing, Premarital/Nonmarital; Children, Well-Being; Home Environment; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Marriage; Maternal Employment; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcomes; Propensity Scores

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The retreat from post-conception marriage has contributed to increasing rates of nonmarital birth in recent decades (England, Wu, and Shafer 2012). Concern about single-parent families has motivated marriage promotion policies, yet research has not examined whether post-conception, pre-birth marriages are associated with better child well-being. Drawing on a sample of black and white mothers with premarital conceptions from the NLSY79, our study fills this gap. Using propensity score techniques, we find that post-conception marriages are not associated with children's behavior problems or math scores, but are associated with higher reading comprehension scores among white children. They are also associated with improved parenting quality among white and black mothers. We find that, among white children, the benefits are strongest for those whose mothers are the least likely to enter into post-conception marriages. Among black children, the benefits are concentrated among those who are the most likely to enter such an arrangement.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston. "Better for Baby? Premarital Conceptions, Shotgun Marriage, and Child Well-Being among Children Born to Young Mothers." Presented: San Francisco CA, Population Association of America Meetings, May 2012.
3. Su, Jessica Houston
Unexpectedly Expecting: Unintended Fertility, Nonmarital Conceptions, and Well-being among Parents and Children
Ph.D. Dissertation, Cornell University, 2014
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (PQDT)
Keyword(s): Childbearing, Premarital/Nonmarital; Children, Well-Being; Depression (see also CESD); Home Environment; Life Course; Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcomes; Propensity Scores

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The second paper examines the relationship between pregnancy intentions and several metrics of child well-being over the life course (ages 0-30). This study uses longitudinal data from the NLSY79 (n = 22,247 person-year observations) and propensity score techniques to address limitations of prior research. Results indicate that children resulting from unintended pregnancies had a less emotionally supportive home environment compared to children resulting from intended pregnancies, even after accounting for the mother's marital status at birth and other characteristics associated with selection into unintended childbearing. Children resulting from unintended pregnancies also experienced more depressive symptoms as adults, which suggests that unintended birth may have long term consequences.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston. Unexpectedly Expecting: Unintended Fertility, Nonmarital Conceptions, and Well-being among Parents and Children. Ph.D. Dissertation, Cornell University, 2014.
4. Su, Jessica Houston
Unintended Birth and Children's Long-term Mental Health
Journal of Health and Social Behavior 58,3 (September 2017): 357-370.
Also: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022146517717037
Cohort(s): NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Birth Preferences/Birth Expectations; Child Health; Depression (see also CESD); Health, Mental/Psychological; Parental Influences; Wantedness

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Research has examined the proximate effects of unintended birth on infants and young children, but we know relatively little about the longer-term effects. Given that unintended birth is associated with several childhood risk factors, it might set the stage for poor mental health in adulthood. Drawing on rich intergenerational survey data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 (N = 3,742), this study used a variety of statistical techniques to examine whether maternal pregnancy intentions are associated with children's depressive symptoms during early adulthood. Results from ordinary least squares regression suggest that children resulting from unintended pregnancies experienced more depressive symptoms in their 20s than children resulting from intended pregnancies, controlling for a host of characteristics. Results from propensity-weighted and sibling fixed-effects models suggest that there is little to no causal relationship, however. Much of the initial association between maternal fertility intentions and children's depressive symptoms is attributed to the mother's sociodemographic characteristics.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston. "Unintended Birth and Children's Long-term Mental Health." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 58,3 (September 2017): 357-370.
5. Su, Jessica Houston
Addo, Fenaba
Born Without a Silver Spoon: Race, Wealth, and Unintended Childbearing
Journal of Family and Economic Issues 39,4 (December 2018): 600-615.
Also: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10834-018-9577-4
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Springer
Keyword(s): Age at First Birth; Childbearing; Expectations/Intentions; Fertility; Racial Differences

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The United States has a surprisingly high rate of unintended fertility, particularly among women of color. Although studies have examined socioeconomic correlates of unintended fertility, the role of economic resources remains unclear. Wealth may provide an important context for whether a birth was intended or unintended. Moreover, staggering racial wealth disparities may contribute to racial/ethnic patterns of unintended childbearing. This study examines the linkages between wealth and unintended first births, drawing on data from the NLSY79 (N = 1508). Results suggest that net wealth is negatively related to the probability of having an unintended first birth, controlling for a host of sociodemographic characteristics. We also use decomposition analysis to quantify wealth's contribution to racial/ethnic disparities in unintended childbearing. Second only to marital status, differences in net wealth account for 9-17% of racial/ethnic disparities in unintended childbearing. Our results suggest that wealth is a significant and heretofore overlooked correlate of unintended childbearing.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston and Fenaba Addo. "Born Without a Silver Spoon: Race, Wealth, and Unintended Childbearing." Journal of Family and Economic Issues 39,4 (December 2018): 600-615.
6. Su, Jessica Houston
Addo, Fenaba
Born Without a Silver Spoon: Wealth and Unintended Childbearing
Presented: Montreal, QC, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2017
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: American Sociological Association
Keyword(s): Childbearing; First Birth; Socioeconomic Factors; Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Theoretical and empirical research suggests that wealth is a critical precursor to marriage, but not childbearing. Although wealth may be unrelated to fertility in general, it is unclear whether it is related to unintended childbearing specifically. Unintended births are more common among relatively disadvantaged groups, such as people of color, unmarried adults, and those with low levels of education, and it is possible that wealth accounts for these patterns. In this paper, we examine the linkages between wealth and unintended first births, drawing on data from the NLSY79. Results suggest that wealth is negatively related to the probability of having an unintended first birth, even after controlling for a host of sociodemographic characteristics such as race, marital status, education, and income. Although wealth does not account for racial and marital status disparities in unintended birth, our results suggest that it is a significant and heretofore overlooked correlate of unintended childbearing. Also presented at Chicago IL, Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Annual Fall Research Conference, November 2017.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston and Fenaba Addo. "Born Without a Silver Spoon: Wealth and Unintended Childbearing." Presented: Montreal, QC, American Sociological Association Annual Meeting, August 2017.
7. Su, Jessica Houston
Addo, Fenaba
Wealth and the Transition to Motherhood
Social Problems published online (22 July 2023).
Also: https://doi.org/10.1093/socpro/spad037
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: University of California Press
Keyword(s): Assets; Birth Preferences/Birth Expectations; Debt/Borrowing; Family Formation; Motherhood; Net Worth; Social Stratification; Wealth

Wealth, a significant dimension of inequality that captures both financial security and social position, shapes patterns of family formation. This study evaluates the role of wealth in the transition to motherhood. We argue that wealth is particularly relevant to when women become mothers, and whether their first birth is desired or undesired. Leveraging longitudinal panel data from the NLSY79 (n=2,382), we find that net worth is linked with a higher risk of a desired first birth and lower risk of an undesired first birth in the subsequent year. These countervailing effects are obscured when desired and undesired births are combined. Our study adds another important dimension to existing research by highlighting the distinct effects of both assets and debts, components of net worth that are typically obscured in aggregate measures. This analysis reveals that having financial assets, such as a savings account, are associated with a lower risk of undesired first birth in the next year, while unsecured consumer debts, such as credit cards, are associated with a lower risk of desired first births in the subsequent year. Our findings have important implications for social stratification in family formation given rising wealth inequality among families with children.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston and Fenaba Addo. "Wealth and the Transition to Motherhood." Social Problems published online (22 July 2023).
8. Su, Jessica Houston
Addo, Fenaba
Wealth and Unintended First Births
Presented: Washington DC, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, March-April 2016
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Fertility; Wealth

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Unintended fertility is concentrated among relatively disadvantaged groups, such as racial minorities, unmarried adults, and those with low levels of education, but the factors that underlie these disparities are unclear. In this paper, we examine whether differences in wealth contribute to or explain patterns of unintended fertility, drawing on data from the NLSY79. Preliminary results suggest that wealth is negatively related to the probability of having an unintended first birth; each decile increase in the wealth distribution is associated with a 10% decrease in the odds of having an unintended first birth, even after controlling for a host of sociodemographic characteristics such as race, marital status, education, and wages. Although wealth does not account for racial and marital status disparities in unintended birth, our preliminary results provide evidence that it is an independent, significant, and heretofore overlooked correlate of pregnancy intentions.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston and Fenaba Addo. "Wealth and Unintended First Births." Presented: Washington DC, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, March-April 2016.
9. Su, Jessica Houston
Dunifon, Rachel
Sassler, Sharon
Better for Baby? The Retreat From Mid-Pregnancy Marriage and Implications for Parenting and Child Well-being
Demography, 52, 4 (August 2015): 1167-1194.
Also: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13524-015-0410-5
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Behavior Problems Index (BPI); Childbearing, Premarital/Nonmarital; Children, Well-Being; Gender Attitudes/Roles; Home Environment; Home Observation for Measurement of Environment (HOME); Marriage; Maternal Employment; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Reading); Pregnancy and Pregnancy Outcomes; Propensity Scores

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Recent decades have seen a significant decline in mid-pregnancy ("shotgun") marriage, particularly among disadvantaged groups, which has contributed to increasing nonmarital birth rates. Despite public and political concern about this shift, the implications for parenting and child well-being are not known. Drawing on a sample of U.S. black and white mothers with nonmarital conceptions from the NLSY79, our study fills this gap. Using propensity score techniques to address concerns about selection bias, we found that mid-pregnancy marriages were associated with slightly better parenting quality relative to remaining single, although effect sizes were small and limited to marriages that remained intact at the time of child assessment. Mid-pregnancy marriages were not associated with improved children's behavior or cognitive ability. These findings suggest that the retreat from mid-pregnancy marriage may contribute to increasing inequality in parenting resources for children.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston, Rachel Dunifon and Sharon Sassler. "Better for Baby? The Retreat From Mid-Pregnancy Marriage and Implications for Parenting and Child Well-being ." Demography, 52, 4 (August 2015): 1167-1194.
10. Su, Jessica Houston
Raissian, Kerri M
Kim, Jiyeon
Best for Whom? Heterogeneous Treatment Effects of Breastfeeding on Child Development
Social Forces published online (30 May 2023).
Also: https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soad075
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Keyword(s): Academic Development; Academic Tracking; Behavior; Breastfeeding; Child Development; Heterogeneity, Causal Effect

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The slogan “Breast is Best” has been popularized by medical organizations and parenting networks to extoll the benefits of breastfeeding, yet the causal effects are widely debated. Our study contributes to the debate by examining whether breastfeeding has differential effects based on the propensity to breastfeed, which is also known as causal effect heterogeneity. Prior studies attempt to isolate the causal effect of breastfeeding by netting out confounding characteristics, but we argue that the effects of breastmilk are unlikely to operate in a vacuum. The social forces that promote or constrain breastfeeding among different populations in American society can also shape its effects. Using rich intergenerational panel data from the NLSY79 Child and Young Adult cohort (n = 7902), we evaluate heterogeneous treatment effects in the relationship between breastfeeding and child development from ages 4 to 14 using stratification-multilevel propensity score models. We find that breastfeeding is associated with small benefits for behavioral development, math scores, and academic ability among those with the highest propensities to breastfeed. By contrast, its small benefits for reading comprehension and vocabulary are concentrated among children with the lowest propensities to breastfeed. Our findings suggest that the social process of selection into breastfeeding cannot be fully disentangled from its estimated effects. The social context not only shapes who breastfeeds in American society, but also who benefits most.
Bibliography Citation
Su, Jessica Houston, Kerri M Raissian and Jiyeon Kim. "Best for Whom? Heterogeneous Treatment Effects of Breastfeeding on Child Development." Social Forces published online (30 May 2023).