Non-family Living Arrangements Among Young Adults in the United States.

The share of young adults living in married-couple family households in the USA has declined in recent decades. Research on alternative living arrangements focuses on cohabitation among unmarried couples and parent-adult child coresidence. Less is known about trends in non-family living arrangements and the characteristics of young adults living with non-relatives.

Increases in child marriage among the poorest in Mali: 'Reverse policies' or data quality issues?

Child marriage is associated with adverse outcomes related to women's well-being. Many countries have introduced laws banning this practice, and a number of studies have evaluated their impact. Scant research has focused on instances where countries have the legal minimum age at marriage, even though such 'reverse policies' could result in stalled or uneven progress in eradicating child marriage.

Forecasting of cohort fertility by educational level in countries with limited data availability: The case of Brazil.

The Brazilian period total fertility rate (PTFR) dropped to 1.8 in 2010 (1.5 among those with high education).

Unequal Transitions to Adulthood: Widening Disparities in Age at First Union, Sex, and Birth in Many Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Research on the timing of events during the transition to adulthood, such as first union, sex, and birth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), focused predominantly on measures of central tendency, notably median or mean ages. In this report, we adopt a different perspective on this topic by examining disparities in the timing of these events in 46 LMICs spanning four decades. Using Demographic and Health Surveys, we estimate ages at which 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 percent of women have first union, birth, and sex.

Changing gender gaps in the timing of first union formation and sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gender differences in union formation and sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly documented, in large part due to a scarcity of research on the transition to adulthood among men. We adopt a novel perspective on this topic by examining in the ages at first union and sex in 24 countries, focusing on measures of central tendency and dispersion. Gender differences in age at first union decreased, driven by postponement among women with relatively late union formation.

Trends in child marriage and new evidence on the selective impact of changes in age-at-marriage laws on early marriage.

This study adopts a cohort perspective to explore trends in child marriage - defined as the proportion of girls who entered first union before the age of 18 - and the effectiveness of policy changes aimed at curbing child marriage by increasing the minimum legal age of marriage. We adopt a cross-national perspective comparing six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that introduced changes in the minimum age at marriage over the past two decades. These countries belong to three broad regions: Sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Mauritania), Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan), and South Asia (Nepal, Bhutan).

Unintended pregnancy resolution among parous women in twelve low- and middle-income countries.

Around 40% of pregnancies worldwide are unintended and a half of those are terminated. Yet, few international comparisons of unintended pregnancy resolution (choosing birth or abortion) exist. This study analysed how parous women's pregnancy intentions and abortion decisions are associated with their reproductive histories and country contexts using twelve Demographic and Health Surveys representing four context groups: post-Soviet/communist and Asian countries with liberal abortion legislation, and Asian and Latin American countries with restrictive abortion legislation.

The socioeconomic dynamics of trends in female genital mutilation/cutting across Africa.

Background: The majority of women who undergo female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) live in Africa. Although the UN Sustainable Development Goals call for intensified efforts to accelerate the abandonment of FGM/C, little is known about where in Africa the declines in prevalence have been fastest and whether changes in prevalence differ by women's socioeconomic status.

Methods: We use data from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys for 23 African countries, collected between 2002 and 2016, and covering 293 170 women.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Mali and Mauritania: Understanding Trends and Evaluating Policies.

Despite international commitments to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), very little is known about the effectiveness of national policies in contributing to the abandonment of this harmful practice. To help address this gap in knowledge, we apply a quasi-experimental research design to study two west African countries, Mali and Mauritania. These countries have marked similarities with respect to practices of FGM/C, but differing legal contexts.

Contraceptive Use Behavior Change After an Unintended Birth in Colombia and Peru.

Context: No studies using longitudinal contraceptive histories have investigated whether having an unintended birth (i.e., one resulting from an unintended pregnancy) is associated with change in contraceptive behavior, including in Colombia and Peru, where levels of unintended fertility remain high.