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Are pregnant women happier? Racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between pregnancy and life satisfaction in the United States

Author

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  • Paul Hagstrom

    (Hamilton College)

  • Stephen Wu

    (Hamilton College)

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between pregnancy and life satisfaction for US women of childbearing age using a large sample from the 2005 to 2009 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The results show strong differences by race and ethnicity. Pregnancy has a significant positive correlation with happiness for Whites and Hispanics, but no relationship for Blacks. This differential in the marginal effect of pregnancy is in addition to a general decrease in satisfaction for Black women, independent of being pregnant. The results cannot be explained by differences in other demographics such age, income, education, or physical health status. Within each racial/ethnic group, the results are consistent across different categories for all these characteristics. Racial and ethnic differences in the effects of pregnancy on support from others can partly explain this result. For Whites and Hispanic women, pregnancy increases their feelings of social and emotional support from others, while pregnant Black women report lower levels of social and emotional support than non-pregnant Black women.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Hagstrom & Stephen Wu, 2016. "Are pregnant women happier? Racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between pregnancy and life satisfaction in the United States," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 507-527, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:14:y:2016:i:3:d:10.1007_s11150-014-9239-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11150-014-9239-8
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    Cited by:

    1. Karen Maguire & John V. Winters, 2017. "Satisfaction and Self-Employment: Do Women Benefit More from Being Their Own Boss?," Economics Working Paper Series 1713, Oklahoma State University, Department of Economics and Legal Studies in Business.
    2. Eiji Yamamura & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2017. "Gap of height and education within couple and its effect on conflict and evaluation about partners: psychological cost of division of labor within household," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 17-35, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    3. David G. Blanchflower & Carol L. Graham, 2022. "The Mid-Life Dip in Well-Being: a Critique," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 161(1), pages 287-344, May.
    4. Stephan HUMPERT, 2015. "The kids are alright? A note on parental satisfaction in Germany," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania - AGER, vol. 0(2(603), S), pages 285-292, Summer.
    5. Chris M. Herbst & John Ifcher, 2016. "The increasing happiness of US parents," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 529-551, September.
    6. Allysa D. Quick & Irene Tung & Kate Keenan & Alison E. Hipwell, 2023. "Psychological Well-Being Across the Perinatal Period: Life Satisfaction and Flourishing in a Longitudinal Study of Young Black and White American Women," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 1283-1301, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life satisfaction; Well-being; Pregnancy; Race; Ethnicity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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