Two Decades of Change in Living Arrangements and Health of Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the U.S., 1997-2018.

Although living arrangements of American adults have changed significantly over the past decades, we know little about changes in the association between living arrangements and health. This study uses pooled data from 1997 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey to examine trends in living arrangements and health among middle-aged (ages 40-64) and older adults (ages 65-84). The results show that increasing share of middle-aged and older adults are living with persons other than their spouses or cohabiting partners, and this living arrangement is increasingly associated with poor health.

Educational Differences in Self-Rated Health Trends Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Living Alone, 1972-2018.

This study examines educational differences in living alone and in self-rated health trends among middle-aged and older adults. We used logistic regression to analyze data from the 1972-2018 National Health Interview Survey ( = 795,239 aged 40-64; = 357,974 aged 65-84). Between 1972-1974 and 2015-2018, living alone became more prevalent, particularly among men and at lower levels of education.

Period Trends in Self-Rated Health at Midlife: Variations by Race/Ethnicity, Union Status, and Education.

Background: Research shows rising midlife morbidity among US non-Hispanic white adults, but it is unclear if and how self-rated health of racial/ethnic minority adults has changed in recent years. More research is also needed to understand factors moderating self-rated health trends among middle-aged white adults. Given the racial/ethnic and educational differences in family experiences in recent decades, scholars have called for analysis of union status and educational differentials in self-rated health trends across racial/ethnic groups.

Still Feeling Better? Trends in Self-Rated Health of Older Adults in the U.S.

Previous analyses showed an overall pattern of improvement in self-rated health of U.S. older adults in the 1980s and the 1990s, but it was uncertain if the declining shares of elderly persons reporting fair or poor health would continue over the next decades.

Trends in self-rated health by union status and education, 2000-2018.

Previous research has documented changes in health differentials by marital status over time. However, recent shifts in family patterns and continuing socioeconomic changes necessitate analyses of more recent changes in union status and self-rated health. Using pooled data from the 2000-2018 National Health Interview Survey (n = 788,829), this study examines educational differences in trends in self-rated health among married, cohabiting, previously-married, and never-married adults.

Change in the Stability of First Premarital Cohabitation Among Women in the United States, 1983-2013.

The rapid growth in cohabitation over the past quarter-century necessitates studies of changes in the stability and outcomes of cohabitation. We utilized data from the 1988 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the most recent NSFG data from 2011-2013 to examine the outcomes of two comparable cohorts of first premarital cohabiting women (1983-1988 and 2006-2013). Our results showed that cohabitations formed between 2006 and 2013 lasted longer-18 months, on average-than those formed in the mid-1980s, which lasted for an average of 12 months.

State variations in women's socioeconomic status and use of modern contraceptives in Nigeria.

Background: According to the 2014 World Population Data Sheet, Nigeria has one of the highest fertility and lowest contraceptive prevalence rates around the world. However, research suggests that national contraceptive prevalence rate overshadows enormous spatial variations in reproductive behavior in the country.

Objective: I examined the variations in women's socioeconomic status and modern contraceptive use across states in Nigeria.