Health and Families

Abstract

Contemporary scholars have moved beyond the question does family structure affect health, and instead explore under what conditions, for which outcomes, for whom, and through which pathways do family structure, context, and process affect health. In this chapter, we: (i) describe core concepts in the study of families and health; (ii) explore the ways that family structures and processes affect child and adolescent health; (iii) document the ways that marital roles, relations, and transitions affect adult health; (iv) investigate how the transition to parenthood affects adult health; and (v) suggest directions for future research on families and health. We draw on contemporary empirical studies identifying the distinctive pathways linking families to health, and show their impact on a range of health outcomes. We also highlight gender, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and cross-national differences in the distinctive ways that families shape health.

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