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The Role of Religion in Adolescence for Family Formation in Young Adulthood
Author(s) -
Eggebeen David,
Dew Jeffrey
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00583.x
Subject(s) - cohabitation , national survey of family growth , attendance , church attendance , life course approach , adolescent health , psychology , early adulthood , young adult , national longitudinal surveys , developmental psychology , sociology , gender studies , religiosity , demography , social psychology , political science , demographic economics , medicine , family planning , population , research methodology , nursing , economics , law
This paper examines the role of religion in adolescence for shaping subsequent family formation. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( N = 13,895). We explored the role of three dimensions of religious life—affiliation, attendance, and religious fervor—both singly and in combination for the transition to either marriage or cohabitation. Although each dimension predicted subsequent union formation, it was the particular combination of these dimensions that was important for understanding the likelihood of cohabiting. We also found evidence that patterns of religious identity, attendance, and fervor in adolescence were associated with the length of cohabitation, the likelihood of the cohabitation ending in marriage, and beliefs about the purpose of cohabitation.