Associations of Childhood Religious Attendance,Family Structure,and Nonmarital Fertility Across Cohorts

This article considers associations among childhood family structure, childhood religious service attendance, and the probability of having a nonmarital first birth before age 30 for non‐Hispanic White women born 1944 to 1964 using data from the 1988 and 1995 waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 5,995). We found that attending religious services weekly during childhood and growing up in a 2‐biological‐parent family were associated with lower odds of having had a nonmarital first birth. These associations were quite stable across cohorts, although religious attendance was less associated with nonmarital fertility for the youngest cohort. We estimate that changes in these childhood experiences account for 22% of the increase in nonmarital first births across these cohorts.     

Social organization, population, and land use

A new approach to investigation of human influences on the environment identifies social organization as an influence independent of population size, affluence, and technology. The framework also identifies population events, such as births, that influence the environment. The authors use longitudinal, multilevel, mixed-method measures of local land use changes, population dynamics, and social organization to test this framework. These tests reveal that changes in social organization are strongly associated with changes in land use independent of measures of population size, affluence, and technology. Also, local birth events shape local land use changes and key proximate determinants of land use change.     

The Impact of Paternity and Marital Status on Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births

In the United States the number of births to unmarried mothers is at a record high. Although being unmarried is a significant risk factor for low birth weight and preterm births, paternal presence may have a protective effect. In addition to marital status, paternity may be a proxy measure for paternal support. Virginia birth registry data were analyzed to investigate the effect of marital and paternity status on low birth weight and preterm births. Findings from this study show that women who reported being unmarried and with no paternity status were 1.6 (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval = 1.41–1.75) and 1.4 (odds ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.21–1.61) times more likely to have preterm low birth weight and term low birth weight babies, respectively. Being unmarried and lack of established paternity appear to be significantly correlated with and may be important risk factors for preterm and low birth weight deliveries. Health care professionals should be aware of the potential role of paternal presence and marital status may play with respect to preterm births and low birth weight.     

Social change,premarital nonfamily experiences,and marital dynamics

We investigate the effects of nonfamily experiences on marital relationships in a setting characterized by high levels of arranged marriage until recently. Drawing on theoretical frameworks for the study of families and social change, we argue that the expansion of opportunities for nonfamily experiences will increase the likelihood of marital relationships based on an emotional bond between husbands and wives. Using data from 3,724 individuals in rural Nepal, we find consistent effects of educational experiences across multiple dimensions of marriage. These effects point toward the spread of education as a stimulus to marriages characterized by higher levels of love and discussions between spouses, and lower levels of conflict and spouse abuse. Results suggest that studies of marital dynamics in non‐Western settings provide a fruitful avenue for new research on marriage.     

The evolution of federal agricultural land use policy in the United States

The United States government has a long history of involvement in the planning and management of rural land resources. During the American Civil War, the basic institutions concerned with agricultural land use were established. The conservation responsibilities of the agricultural establishment were greatly expanded during the New Deal. Broader resource concerns and new non-agricultural federal institutions were introduced during the 1970s. From 1981 to the present, there has been an attempt to withdraw federal involvement in traditional agricultural land use activities. Nevertheless, new conservation measures were adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1985 during the 50th anniversary year of the Soil Conservation Service. This paper provides a review of the evolution of activity in agricultural land use and soil conservation by the federal government of the United States.     

Who Benefits from Production Outcomes? Gendered Production Relations among Climate‐Smart Agriculture Technology Users in Rural Ethiopia

The use of agricultural technologies is generally expected to increase production and household incomes. Gendered disparities in making use of agricultural outcomes could result in inequitable agricultural development. However, too little is known about whether the use of agricultural technologies improves gendered production relations, particularly in the Global South. This study investigates the question of gender‐equitable production relations by drawing on empirical data from women and men smallholders involved in conservation agriculture and small‐scale irrigation schemes in three study areas in Ethiopia. Findings show that the use of agricultural technologies does not improve unequal gendered production relations; rather, gender norms that exist within patriarchal social structures continue to influence production relations in at least three ways. First, societal norms restrict women from asserting their self‐interest in gendered bargaining. Second, there is a customary law in all the study areas that allows men (but not women) to inherit land—thus providing men with better bargaining and decision‐making positions over production outcomes, as they bring land to the marriage. Third, the restricted access of women to rural institutional services further contributes to unequal gendered production relations, as these services support men more than women in the use of agricultural technologies for enhanced production.     

A preliminary inquiry on the problem of unplanned (extra-quota) second births

The resurgence of child births in China in 1981 was marked by a decline in the multiparity birth rates and a drastic rise in the rate of unplanned 2nd births, resulting in unplanned 2nd births outnumbering multiparity births. The aim of this investigation was to find the objective and subjective causes for the unplanned 2nd births and explore ways to bring them under strict control. In the countryside there are loud voices that give insufficient labor as their reason for wanting 2nd births. An analysis of 923 cases of unplanned 2nd births in connection with the economic conditions of the families, the sex of the 1st births, intervals between the births, and the parents' cultural level shows that 61.87% of the total number of families suffered a decline in their income. The effect of the sex of the 1st birth over the 2nd birth varies with different localities. Among those having unplanned births, illiterates accounted for more than 35% in Nanzheng and Yanchuan counties and over 20% in Mianxian and Wubao counties. The current rise in 2nd births is due mainly not to economic reasons but to social and psychological reasons. To effectively hold down 2nd births under the current conditions, the following suggestions are offered: 1) step up propaganda and education work to gradually raise people's consciousness for practicing family planning, 2) family planning measures of economic restriction and reward must be implemented, 3) on the basis of enforcing the new marriage law, late marriage should be promoted, 4) a population tax should be imposed, and 5) social insurance for the elderly should be enlarged.     

关于深化上海农村改革的若干思考

上海深化农村改革应着力发展现代农业经营的"三类主体":家庭农场、农民合作社和农业企业;着力保障农民的"三项权利":农民的土地承包经营权、农村集体经济组织成员权利和农民宅基地用益物权;着力盘活农村的"三块土地":农村承包土地、农民宅基地和农村集体建设用地;着力完善涉农的"三项制度":农产品价格形成制度、农业支持保护制度和土地征收制度;着力提升农村公共服务的"三项水平":农村义务教育水平、农村社会保障水平和农村医疗服务水平。     

Is Baby a Blessing? Wantedness,Age at First Birth,and Later‐Life Depression

Research has found that both unintended and nonnormatively timed births have negative consequences, yet little is known about how birth timing and intention jointly influence mothers' mental health. This study explored how the interaction between intention and age at first birth influenced depression 5 to 13 years later by analyzing the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (N = 2,573). We found that mistimed births, when compared with wanted births, were associated with depression, but only for normatively timed transitions to motherhood. Surprisingly, teen mothers who had unwanted births had better later‐life mental health than teens who had wanted or mistimed births. Among women with wanted or mistimed first births, increasing age at birth was associated with lower probabilities of depression. Most, but not all, of these effects were explained by selection factors and life circumstances. Results show the importance of examining joint effects of first birth wantedness and timing.     

Urban and agricultural soils: conflicts and trade-offs in the optimization of ecosystem services

On-going human population growth and changing patterns of resource consumption are increasing global demand for ecosystem services, many of which are provided by soils. Some of these ecosystem services are linearly related to the surface area of pervious soil, whereas others show non-linear relationships, making ecosystem service optimization a complex task. As limited land availability creates conflicting demands among various types of land use, a central challenge is how to weigh these conflicting interests and how to achieve the best solutions possible from a perspective of sustainable societal development. These conflicting interests become most apparent in soils that are the most heavily used by humans for specific purposes: urban soils used for green spaces, housing, and other infrastructure and agricultural soils for producing food, fibres and biofuels. We argue that, despite their seemingly divergent uses of land, agricultural and urban soils share common features with regards to interactions between ecosystem services, and that the trade-offs associated with decision-making, while scale- and context-dependent, can be surprisingly similar between the two systems. We propose that the trade-offs within land use types and their soil-related ecosystems services are often disproportional, and quantifying these will enable ecologists and soil scientists to help policy makers optimizing management decisions when confronted with demands for multiple services under limited land availability.     

Contraceptive Use Patterns Within Females' First Sexual Relationships: The Role of Relationships,Partners, and Methods

This study used the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to assess whether characteristics of females' sexual partners, relationships, and choice of contraceptive methods were associated with contraceptive use patterns within their first sexual relationship. White, Black, and Hispanic females under age 25 (N = 915) provided retrospective information on sexual activity and contraceptive use for first sexual relationships that occurred between 1991 and 1995. Females with older sexual partners and with same race/ethnicity partners (among Hispanics) had reduced odds of ever using contraception and/or uninterrupted use. Longer sexual relationships were associated with higher odds of ever using contraception but lower odds of uninterrupted use. Females who were older at first sex, who used hormonal methods (among Whites), or who switched to more effective methods during their first sexual relationships had higher odds of ever using contraception and/or uninterrupted use. In contrast, switching to less effective methods during a first sexual relationship was associated with reduced odds of uninterrupted use.     

Contraceptive use patterns within females' first sexual relationships: the role of relationships, partners, and methods

This study used the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to assess whether characteristics of females' sexual partners, relationships, and choice of contraceptive methods were associated with contraceptive use patterns within their first sexual relationship. White, black, and Hispanic females under age 25 (N=915) provided retrospective information on sexual activity and contraceptive use for first sexual relationships that occurred between 1991 and 1995. Females with older sexual partners and with same race/ethnicity partners (among Hispanics) had reduced odds of ever using contraception and/or uninterrupted use. Longer sexual relationships were associated with higher odds of ever using contraception but lower odds of uninterrupted use. Females who were older at first sex, who used hormonal methods (among whites), or who switched to more effective methods during their first sexual relationships had higher odds of ever using contraception and/or uninterrupted use. In contrast, switching to less effective methods during a first sexual relationship was associated with reduced odds of uninterrupted use.     

Peer mentoring services,opportunities, and outcomes for child welfare families with substance use disorders

Peer recovery support services (PRSS) in child welfare are being provided by peer mentors in sustained recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) to parents with acute SUD. Previous retrospective interviews demonstrate that peer mentors engage parents in family-centered systems of care through relationships and empowerment. However, the specific profile of services provided is unknown. Personnel challenges and opportunities for persons in recovery serving as peer mentors are described in the literature without understanding the frequency of both. As enthusiasm for hiring peer mentors grows, it is important to understand the specific services provided, the risks and opportunities associated with hiring individuals in recovery, and the impact of mentor services on outcomes. This knowledge can assist in developing training, implementation guides, policies, job expectations, and program evaluation strategies. This is a prospective study of 28 family mentors providing PRSS services to 783 families with child maltreatment and parental SUD over 8 years in a family-centered integrated program with SUD treatment providers. We describe mentor services overall, during the early engagement period, in rural and urban settings, and test the association between services and child/parent unification status at case closure; we identify the proportion of peer mentors that experienced employment challenges and career advancement opportunities. Results demonstrate the complexity of service provision overall and in differing contexts. Face to face visits with children were associated with greater likelihood of parent/child unification at case closure and 64.3% of peer mentors experienced career advancement opportunities. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

关于上海松江区发展家庭农场的思考

上海松江区改革农村土地管理制度,规范农村承包地流转,创新农业经营主体,培育、发展家庭农场,取得了明显成效。松江家庭农场经营模式为上海乃至全国发展家庭农场提供的启示是：顺应形势发展,为家庭农场成长创造良好的外部环境;培养职业农民,为家庭农场发展提供坚实的人力保障;加强扶持服务,为家庭农场发展提供有力的政策支持。推广松江家庭农场模式,要注意把握好3方面的问题,即：家庭农场经营规模＂度＂的问题;土地如何＂流转＂的问题;政策措施＂扶持＂的问题。     

Historical land use and soil analysis guiding corridor landscape design

Changing land use from forested environments to agricultural and/or urban spaces dramatically alters soil chemical, physical, and biological properties and thereby influences the survivability of landscape plants installed in these areas. This site analysis was conducted along New Hope Road, in Pickens County, SC, to develop a sustainable landscape design for the greenway corridor to buffer future cuttings of pines and offer a variety of recreational and educational opportunities for the community. Using a “design with nature” framework, an interdisciplinary team collaborated on a thorough observation and analysis of the inherent qualities of the site, historical documents and aerial photographs to describe the land use history of the site. The dominant soil series found on the site were Cecil clay loam, Cecil sandy loam, and Pacolet clay loam. Surface soil chemistry tests were conducted to examine soil and buffer pH; organic carbon and nitrogen contents; nitrate–nitrogen; extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, and sodium; lime requirements and recommendations; cation exchange capacity; acidity; and percent base saturation. Analysis of site history, aerial photographs, and soil testing revealed that a history of intensive agricultural land use and managed forestry on the site has noticeably altered the soil quality. Severe soil erosion and compaction brought about by a combination of anthropogenic and natural causes have left much of the site with infertile soils lacking a true topsoil layer and characterized by low pH. These qualities present numerous challenges when attempting to modify and install vegetation. Based on historical land use, soil analysis, and plant species characteristics, a final landscape design was created that addressed the environmental opportunities, constraints of the site and provided site- and plant-specific fertilizer recommendations for successful establishment and maintenance of this greenway corridor.     

Nonmarital Childbearing, Union History, and Women's Health at Midlife

Despite high rates of nonmarital childbearing in the U.S., little is known about the health of women who have nonmarital births. We use data from the NLSY79 to examine differences in age 40 self-assessed health between women who had a premarital birth and those whose first birth occurred within marriage. We then differentiate women with a premarital first birth according to their subsequent union histories and estimate the effect of marrying or cohabiting versus remaining never-married on midlife self-assessed health, paying particular attention to the paternity status of the mother's partner and the stability of marital unions. To partially address selection bias, we employ multivariate propensity score techniques. Results suggest that premarital childbearing is negatively associated with midlife health for white and black (but not Hispanic) women. We find no evidence that these negative health consequences of nonmarital childbearing are mitigated by either marriage or cohabitation for black women. For other women, only enduring marriage to the biological father is associated with better health than remaining unpartnered.     

Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Understand Motivation to Register Births in Lombok,Indonesia

Despite government interest in promoting birth registration, more than a third of Indonesian children do not have a birth certificate, affecting the realisation of both their human and citizen rights. While barriers to registering children's births in Indonesia have been assessed, there is limited research on how communities perceive the importance of having a birth certificate. This study used focus group discussions to explore parental motivations around birth registration. The results of a thematic analysis found that perceived use of birth certificates, perceived control over the application process and social norms related to certificate ownership affect the intention to apply.     

Examining the association between Medicaid coverage and preterm births using 2010–2013 National Vital Statistics Birth Data

Reducing the number of preterm births is a high public health priority in the U.S. Preterm birth, affecting an estimated 380,000 infants annually, is a leading cause of infant mortality and morbidity and is associated with individual and systemic characteristics. Preterm birth is estimated to cost society $26 billion annually. Despite an elevated financial burden caused by preterm birth, very little is known about who bears these costs. This study seeks to understand the relationship between Medicaid and private insurance payment for preterm birth, using multiple years of vital statistics data, which for the first time since 2010 include information on payment source. The nationwide data cover births that occur in all settings, including non-hospital settings, and many maternal characteristics not available in other datasets, improving upon previous analyses. These data can be used to promote better Medicaid coverage of interventions known to be effective in reducing preterm births.     

Spacing Between Births in Odisha,India

Birth spacing is of considerable importance to study the tempo and quantum of fertility. Using data from the National Family Health Survey III, this study explored the birth interval dynamics in Odisha, an eastern state of India. The life table analysis of spacing between births clearly suggests that birth spacing in the recent past has increased and the proportion of women moving to the second, third, and fourth parity has declined, leading to the decline in fertility in Odisha. From the proportional hazards model, educational level of women, age of women at previous birth, sex and survival status of the previous child, and the period effect are found to be important determinants of birth spacing at higher parities. Socioeconomic differences do not show a large effect at lower order births. This highlights the fact that most women in Odisha, regardless of their background characteristics, tend to have second births.