Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Abstract
Through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Families and Children, each state has a responsibility to provide programs that address
federal initiatives regarding promoting marriage-specifically as an initiative to address
poverty. An essential component in operationalizing policy-based efforts to promote
marriage is understanding what lies behind current marriage and divorce behaviors and
choices. To gain that knowledge this study proposes to gather data on selected social and
economic indicators related to marriage choices in Kentucky-with implications for
further research focused on the South. The survey instrument will include questions on
1] attitudes about marriage, divorce, cohabitation, and singleness; 2] general current
demographic data usually collected with special attention to demographic data about the
family of origin; and 3] employment related data, measures of economic well-being, and
utilization of government services such as TANF, Food Stamps, and Medicaid.
Research findings would be based on telephone interviews conducted with a
statewide sample of approximately 1,800 - 2,300 adults by adding questions to the UK
SRC Spring Kentucky Survey. The sample would consist of -2,000 adults from
randomly selected households and another -300 randomly selected current Medicaid
clients. For the purposes of this study, economic well being will be measured in three
alternative ways: 1] persons who currently, at the time of the interview, receive Food
Stamps, Medicaid, and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or 2]
persons who within the last 5 years received Food Stamps, Medicaid, and/or Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); or 3] persons who report total taxable household
income divided by number of persons in the household sharing that income-a proxy
income to need ratio-at two alternative levels: a) below the poverty threshold of income
to needs equal to 100% representing those in poverty and, alternatively, b) an income to
needs ratio below 200% representing poor, low-income persons. These alternative
measures clearly identify economically disadvantaged individuals of particular interest
when considering government policies aimed at reducing poverty through marriage.
Lerman (Kaye, http://aspe.hhs.~ovlhsp/marriage-well-being03/summary.htm) has
identified gaps in the scarce literature addressing the economic effects of marriage.
These gaps and the consequences of the gaps are the main forces driving this proposed
project. Scholarly and popular press publications tout the economic benefits of marriage
while ignoring selection bias. Additionally authors write and speak as though correlation
infers causation. Lastly, authors overlook the potential special circumstances for lowincome
persons regarding such elementary issues such as availability of a suitable mate.
These issues prompt the search for knowledge proposed in this study and drive the
conceptuaVtheoretical and statistical model(s) proposed. Using path analysis and twoand
three-stage least squares, direct and indirect effects of antecedent and intervening
variables will be used to estimate the effects of marriage on economic well-being of
families in Kentucky. Additionally, estimating the probability of marriage will be use to
generate the correction factor for selection bias.
Analysis of the data will provide knowledge concerning marriage attitudes and
behaviors in Kentucky and differences among various regions within the Commonwealth.
From this knowledge effective marriage initiatives and policies can be developed.
Status | Finished |
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Effective start/end date | 1/1/04 → 2/28/05 |
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