Same-sex Married and Cohabiting Families and Child Health: A Population-Based Study

• In Event: 322 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 19. Sexual Orientation and Health

Abstract

The well-being of children in same-sex families is a site of contemporary policy, law, and public debate. Yet, due to data limitations, a comprehensive view of child mental and physical health in same-sex U.S. households is still scientifically unknown. In this study, we use nationally-representative population-based data from the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) to ex-amine differences in children’s physical and mental health outcomes across same-sex married, same-sex cohabiting, different-sex married, different-sex cohabiting, and single groups. The NHIS is among the first datasets to allow for national estimates of child health within same-sex cohabiting and married family structures and thus is highly significant. We further examine the role of socioeconomic status and parental health as key family resources that may account for differences across union status groups. Results reveal that even prior to controlling for socioeconomic and parent health variables, there are no differences between the emotional and physical health of children in same-sex married and different-sex married family structures. When demo-graphic, socioeconomic, and parent health variables are taken into account, there are no differences in child health between same-sex cohabiting, different-sex cohabiting, single family structures relative to different-sex married family structures. This analysis provides among the first robust, nationally representative and population-based evidence demonstrating that little difference in child health is found when comparing same-sex married and cohabiting family structures and different-sex married family structures. 

Authors

• Corinne Reczek, The Ohio State University

• Russell Leroy Spiker, University of Cincinnati

• Hui Liu, Michigan State University