Children's Elevated Risk of Asthma in Unmarried Families: Underlying Structural and Behavioral Mechanisms

Abstract

Among a recent birth cohort in U.S. cities, children were far more likely to be diagnosed with asthma and to experience an asthma-related emergency within 15 months of their birth if their parents were unmarried. Comparing babies born to parents who were married, cohabiting, and not living together at the time of their baby's birth reveals a "family structure gradient:" asthma diagnoses and emergencies increase in a linear fashion as the parents? relationship becomes weaker. This paper uses longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to provide evidence on the mechanisms underlying the relationship between family structure and children's asthma. I find that demographic and socioeconomic correlates of marriage explain asthma differences between children of married and cohabiting parents. However, children whose parents live apart appear to be at heightened risk of being diagnosed with asthma and experiencing an asthma-related emergency even after taking into account demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Mother?s health behavior explains a relatively small portion of family structure differences in asthma, and father involvement makes no difference in children?s asthma diagnosis or emergencies.

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