Factors Associated with MultiplePartner Fertility Among Fathers

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Factors Associated with Multiple-Partner
Fertility Among Fathers

• Cassandra Logan
• Jennifer Manlove
• Erum Ikramullah
• Emily Holcombe

Support for this research provided by NICHD
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Research Questions

• What is the prevalence of multiple-partner
  fertility among males?
• Are family and individual socio-demographic
  factors associated with multiple-partner
  fertility among males?
• 3. Are characteristics of mens first birth and
  first partner associated with their likelihood of
  experiencing multiple-partner fertility?

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Research Questions

• 4. Do family, individual, and first birth
  characteristics differentiate men who experience
  multiple-partner fertility in only nonmarital
  relationships from those who experience
  multiple-partner fertility in at least one
  marital relationship?
• 5. Are there cohort differences in experiencing
  multiple-partner fertility in only nonmarital
  relationships vs. experiencing multiple-partner
  fertility in at least one marital relationship?

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Multiple-Partner Fertility Definition and Context

• Multiple-partner fertility is defined as having
  biological children with more than one partner
• Resulting from demographic shifts in marriage
  patterns

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Motivations for the Study

• Little is known about multiple-partner fertility
  among fathers
• Multiple-partner fertility is problematic for men
  and their partners
• Multiple-partner fertility has potentially
  negative consequences for children

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Data

• National Survey of Family Growth 2002 (NSFG2002)
• Nationally representative cross-sectional survey
  of males and females aged 15-44 in 2002
• Analytic Sample
• 1,731 men who reported at least one biological
  child
• 316 men who reported fathering children with more
  than one woman
• Analytic Sample for Separate Cohort Analyses
• 1,272 men who reported at least one biological
  child by age 30
• 157 men who reported fathering children with more
  than one woman by age 30
• Females not included because births not linked to
  relationship histories

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Methods

• Descriptive and bivariate analyses
• Logistic regression
• DV Multiple-partner fertility vs. Single-partner
  fertility
• Multinomial logistic regression
• DV Three-level multiple-partner fertility
  variable by marital status
• Nonmarital only multiple-partner fertility
• Multiple-partner fertility with at least one
  marital birth
• Single-partner fertility

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1st Dependent Variable Multiple-Partner
Fertility vs. Single-Partner Fertility
Multiple-Partner Fertility N316
Single-Partner Fertility N1,415
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2nd Dependent Variable Multiple-Partner
Fertility by Marital Status
MPF With At Least 1 Marital Birth N188
Nonmarital Only N128
Single-Partner Fertility N1,415
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Independent Variables

• Age
• Race/ethnicity
• Foreign born status
• Respondents parents marital status at birth
• Family structure at age 14
• Number of siblings
• Mothers labor force status when R was aged 5-15
• Parent education
• Mother was a teen mom
• Age at first sex
• Age at first birth
• Marital/cohabitation status at first birth
• Number of children with first mother

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Results
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Research Question 2Are family and individual
socio-demographic factors associated with
multiple-partner fertility among males?
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Multivariate AnalysesPredictors of
Multiple-Partner Fertility with Individual and
Family Characteristics Controls
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Research Question 3Are characteristics of
mens first birth and first partner associated
with their likelihood of experiencing
multiple-partner fertility?
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Multivariate AnalysesPredictors of
Multiple-Partner Fertility with all Controls
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Research Question 4Do family, individual, and
first birth characteristics differentiate men who
experience multiple-partner fertility in only
nonmarital relationships from those who
experience multiple-partner fertility in at least
one marital relationship?
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Multiple-Partner Fertility Occurs Within Marital
and Nonmarital Unions
Marital Only
Nonmarital Only

• Marital 1st Birth and
• gt1 Nonmarital Birth

Nonmarital 1st Birth and gt 1 Marital Birth
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Multivariate AnalysesNonmarital
Multiple-Partner Fertility vs. Multiple-Partner
Fertility with at Least 1 Marital Birth
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Multivariate Analyses Multiple-Partner Fertility
vs. Single-Partner Fertility
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Research Question 5Are there cohort
differences in experiencing multiple-partner
fertility in only nonmarital relationships vs.
experiencing multiple-partner fertility in at
least one marital relationship?
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Prevalence of Marital and Nonmarital
Multiple-Partner Fertility by Age 30 Varies By
Cohort
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Bivariate Analysis of Multiple-Partner Fertility
by Age 30
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Multivariate AnalysesPredictors of
Multiple-Partner Fertility by Age 30 with All
Controls
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Limitations of Current Study

• Recall bias men may under-report fertility
  information
• Small sample size does not allow us to
  differentiate marital-only multiple-partner
  fertility

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Summary of Findings

• 17 of fathers experience multiple-partner
  fertility
• One in four births are to men who have had
  children with multiple partners
• Multiple-partner fertility occurs to men with
  varied relationship histories
• Socio-demographic factors are associated with
  multiple-partner fertility (age, race/ethnicity,
  family structure)
• Racial and ethnic minorities and men who had
  their first birth at a younger age have the
  greatest odds of nonmarital multiple-partner
  fertility

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Implications

• Early sexual experience is associated with
  multiple-partner fertility
• Programs effective at delaying early sex and
  childbearing may help to reduce multiple-partner
  fertility
• Timing and circumstances of first birth is linked
  to multiple-partner fertility
• Programs effective at helping men to delay first
  births and fostering healthy marriages/relationshi
  ps when they do have children may help reduce
  multiple-partner fertility
• Men in more recent birth cohorts have greater
  odds of experiencing nonmarital-only
  multiple-partner fertility

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