Household Size as a Correlate of Divorce Rate: A County-Level Analysis |
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| Authors: | Yanyi K. Djamba Larry C. Mullins Kimberly P. Brackett Nelya J. McKenzie |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Sociology , Auburn University at Montgomery , Montgomery , Alabama , USA;2. Center for Demographic Research, Auburn University at Montgomery , Montgomery , Alabama , USA ydjamba@aum.edu;4. Department of Sociology , Auburn University at Montgomery , Montgomery , Alabama , USA;5. Department of Communication and Dramatic Arts , Auburn University at Montgomery , Montgomery , Alabama , USA |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Divorce remains one of the main challenges facing American families today. Previous studies have shown that the risk of divorce is influenced by many factors, including spouses' characteristics and the types of neighborhoods in which they live. This study extends previous work by examining the association between household size and divorce rate at the county level using 1990 and 2000 county-level data. The results show that household size is negatively and significantly associated with divorce rate in both 1990 and 2000, regardless of the region of residence. That effect was stronger in 2000, where household size appeared as the second most significant correlate of divorce rate among all other variables considered in the linear multiple regression analysis. Such findings suggest that household size acts as a social capital variable which helps to maintain family structure, thus reducing the risk of union dissolution. |
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