Genetic Influence on Risk of Divorce

Although it has long been recognized that there is increased risk of divorce among the children of divorced parents, the extent to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to this familial resemblance has been a matter of speculation only. In order to resolve the separate influence of genetic and environmental factors on risk of divorce, divorce status of 1,516 same-sex twin pairs (722 monozygotic. MZ, and 794 dizygotic. DZ), their parents, and their spouses' parents was determined. Concordance for divorce was significantly higher in MZ than DZ twins; this was true overall, in both the male and female samples, for both younger and older twin pairs, and both when the twins' parents had been divorced and when they had not been divorced. The robustness and magnitude of the MZ-DZ difference in divorce concordance indicates a strong influence of genetic factors in the etiology of divorce. Moreover, family background of both spouses contributed independently to couples' divorce risk, suggesting that, in many cases, divorce may be largely the result of characteristics the two spouses bring to the union rather than to interaction effects. These results also suggest that the adjustment difficulties seen with some children of divorced parents may be due to an interaction between genetic and environmental factors rather than environmental influences alone, as is assumed in many theories of divorce's effects.

The impact of first-birth timing on divorce: new evidence from a longitudinal analysis based on the Central Population Register of Norway

"The association between divorce risks in first marriage and the timing of the first birth is inspected in a life-table analysis of registered birth and marriage histories from Norway. One of the main conclusions is that the high propensity to divorce among women who have had a premarital birth is not confined to those who marry someone other than the father of their child. Also, women who have had a premarital child with their husband, run a much higher risk of marital breakup than do those who had their first baby in wedlock.... It is argued that couples who postpone childbearing beyond two years of marriage may have particularly low divorce rates." (SUMMARY IN FRE)

Perceived relationship with the father of the baby and maternal attachment in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To examine the perceived relationship with the father of the baby and maternal attachment in pregnant adolescents.

DESIGN

Exploratory, longitudinal, using a convenience sample.

SETTING

Four antepartum clinics for low-income women.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-nine adolescents, ages 12-19 years, < 20 weeks gestation; follow-up assessments at 20-29 weeks (n = 64), 30-40 weeks (n = 54), and within 1 week after birth (n = 47). Chi-square analysis showed no differences in demographic characteristics or major variables of those who completed the study and those who dropped out (p > or = .89).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

An investigator-developed Father of the Baby Scale, Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, and Avant's Maternal Attachment Assessment Strategy.

RESULTS

A close and satisfying relationship with the father of the baby was positively correlated with some aspects of maternal-fetal attachment (r = .24 to .33, p < .05) and maternal-infant attachment (r = .38, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study lend tentative support to Rubin's theory of maternal identity formation. A close and satisfying relationship with the father of the baby has a positive influence on maternal attachment behaviors. Additional research related to the adolescent's relationship with the father of the baby is needed. Fathers of the babies of adolescent mothers should be included, where appropriate, in ongoing care of the mother and infant.

The role of family support in determining developmental outcomes in children of teen mothers

Children from teen parent families are impaired developmentally compared to children of older mothers. Family support has frequently been proposed as a mediator of the stress that teen parents experience as a result of teen parenthood. This longitudinal study investigates the role of family support factors and maternal characteristics in relation to child outcomes (6-7 year old children) in teen parent families. Two models outlining the role of partner and grandmother family support are proposed to explain the process by which child development occurs within the family contexts of teen families. Implications of the results for intervention are discussed.

Marital stability throughout the child-rearing years

Although there is evidence that the number and ages of children influence marital stability, studies have not systematically tracked the risk of marital disruption throughout the child-rearing years. This study uses marital and fertility histories from the June 1985 Current Population Survey to examine this issue. Continuous-time regression models with ages and numbers of children as time-varying covariates are estimated. Net of controls for age at marriage, year of marriage, education, and marital duration, stability increases with family size up to the third child but starts to decline as family size reaches five or more children. Aging of children is disruptive until the youngest child reaches adulthood, after which marriages become much more stable. Arrival and aging of children is an important dynamic with strong implications for marital stability.