Family Structure and Childrens Health in the United States: Findings From the National Health Interview Survey, 20012007

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All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

Suggested citation

Blackwell DL. Family structure and childrens health in the United States: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey, 20012007. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10(246). 2010.

Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication Data

Family structure and childrens health in the United States : findings from the National Health Interview Survey, 20012007.

p. ; cm. (Vital and health statistics. Series 10, Data from the National Health Survey ; no. 246) (DHHS publication ; no. (PHS) 20111574)

October 2010. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 08406-06427

1. ChildrenHealth and hygieneUnited StatesStatistics. 2. Children United StatesSocial conditionsStatistics. 3. ChildrenUnited States Economic conditionsStatistics. 4. Health surveysUnited StatesStatistics. 5. United StatesStatistics, Medical. 6. United StatesStatistics, Vital. I. National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.) II. National Health Interview Survey (U.S.) III. Series: Vital and health statistics. Series 10, Data from the National Health Survey ; no. 246. IV. Series: DHHS publication ; no. (PHS) 20111574.

[DNLM: 1. Child WelfareUnited StatesStatistics. 2. FamilyUnited StatesStatistics. 3. Health StatusUnited StatesStatistics. 4. Health SurveysUnited StatesStatistics. W2 A N148vj no.246 2010]

RJ102.F363 2010 362.19892dc22 2010032971

For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents Mail Stop: SSOP Washington, DC 20402-9328 Printed on acid-free paper.

Series 10, Number 246

Family Structure and Childrens Health in the United States: Findings From the National Health Interview Survey, 20012007

Data From the National Health Interview Survey

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics

Hyattsville, Maryland December 2010 DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 20111574

National Center for Health Statistics

Edward J. Sondik, Ph.D., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science

Division of Health Interview Statistics

Jane F. Gentleman, Ph.D., Director

Contents

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Data Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Limitations of the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Estimation Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Variance Estimation and Significance Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Measurement of Family Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Measurement of Health Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Further Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Selected Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Family Structure Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Measures of Physical Health and Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Measures of Access to or Utilization of Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Measures of Behavior or Emotional Well-being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Appendix I. Technical Notes on Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Appendix II. Definitions of Selected Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Figures

1. Percent distribution of family structure for children under age 18: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2. Percent distribution of family structure for non-Hispanic black children under age 18: United States, 20012007. . . . 7 3. Percent distribution of family structure for Hispanic children under age 18: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4. Percent distribution of family structure for non-Hispanic white children under age 18: United States, 20012007 . . . 8 5. Percent distribution of family structure for poor children under age 18: United States, 20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6. Percent distribution of family structure for near poor children under age 18: United States, 20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . 9 7. Percent distribution of family structure for not poor children under age 18: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 8. Percent distribution of family structure across the study period for children under age 18: United States,

20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 9. Percentages of children under age 18 in good, fair, or poor health, by family structure: United States, 20012007 . . . 11 10. Percentages of children under age 18 with one or more selected chronic conditions, by family structure:

United States, 20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 11. Percentages of children under age 18 who ever had asthma, by family structure: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . 12 12. Percentages of children under age 18 who had hay fever in the past 12 months, by family structure: United States,

20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 13. Percentages of children under age 18 who had respiratory allergies in the past 12 months, by family structure:

United States, 20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 14. Percentages of children aged 417 who have a basic action disability, by family structure: United States,

20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

iii

15. Percentages of children aged 317 who had ever been told of having a learning disability or ADHD, by family structure: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

16. Percentages of children aged 517 who missed 6 or more days of school in the past 12 months due to illness or injury, by family structure: United States, 20012007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

17. Percentages of children under age 18 who did not have health insurance, by family structure: United States, 20012007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .