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The Impact of Complex Family Structure on Child Well‐Being: Evidence From Siblings

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  • Mostafa, Tarek
  • Gambaro, Ludovica
  • Joshi, Heather

Abstract

Evidence from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort on children at ages 3 and 5 with older siblings addresses the questions of whether those living with both biological parents and only full siblings have better emotional and behavior outcomes than other children, and whether nonfull siblings affect children's outcomes independently of parents' partnership status. Adjusting for measured family circumstances and resources in cross‐sectional regressions accounted for much of the adverse association of family complexity with child outcomes. Controlling for unobserved family and child fixed effects did not, however, attenuate all estimates further. Fixed unobservable factors appeared to be masking underlying associations. Allowing for them intensified some, albeit modest, estimates. These revealed excess externalizing behavior problems for boys with single or stepparents but only full siblings. For girls with single mothers, the chances of internalizing problems were raised. Whether siblings were full or not made little difference to outcomes in general.

Suggested Citation

  • Mostafa, Tarek & Gambaro, Ludovica & Joshi, Heather, 2018. "The Impact of Complex Family Structure on Child Well‐Being: Evidence From Siblings," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 80(4), pages 902-918.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:200192
    DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12456
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    1. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-01109062 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. repec:pri:crcwel:wp11-04-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Richard Layard & Andrew E. Clark & Francesca Cornaglia & Nattavudh Powdthavee & James Vernoit, 2014. "What Predicts a Successful Life? A Life‐course Model of Well‐being," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(580), pages 720-738, November.
    4. Kathleen Kiernan & Sara McLanahan & John Holmes & Melanie Wright, 2011. "Fragile Families in the US and UK," Working Papers 1299, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    5. Anders Björklund & Donna Ginther & Marianne Sundström, 2007. "Family structure and child outcomes in the USA and Sweden," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 183-201, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fitzsimons, Emla & Villadsen, Aase, 2019. "Father departure and children's mental health: How does timing matter?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 349-358.
    2. Cuccaro-Alamin, Stephanie & Eastman, Andrea Lane & Foust, Regan & McCroskey, Jacquelyn & Nghiem, Huy Tran & Putnam-Hornstein, Emily, 2021. "Strategies for constructing household and family units with linked administrative records," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).

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