Citation
Frech, Adrianne (2014). Pathways to adulthood and changes in health-promoting behaviors.
Advances in Life Course Research. vol. 19 (1) pp. 40-49 , PMCID: PMC4040444
Abstract
The transition to adulthood in the US has become increasingly diverse over the last fifty years, leaving young adults without a normative pathway to adulthood. Using Waves I and III of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 7,803), I draw from a cumulative advantages/disadvantages (CAD) perspective to examine the relationships between union formation, parenthood, college attendance, full-time employment, home-leaving, and changes in health-promoting behaviors between adolescence and young adulthood. I find that men and women who marry, cohabit, or attend college during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood report fewer losses in healthy behaviors over time. When the sample is divided into mutually exclusive “pathways to adulthood”, two higher-risk groups emerge for both men and women: single parents and those transitioning into fulltime work without attending college or forming families. These groups experience greater losses in healthy behaviors over time even after adjusting for family of origin characteristics and may be at long-term risk for persistently low engagement in health-promoting behaviors
URL
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040260813000452Keyword(s)
Young adulthood
Reference Type
Journal Article
Journal Title
Advances in Life Course Research
Author(s)
Frech, Adrianne
Year Published
2014
Volume Number
19
Issue Number
1
Pages
40-49
ISSN/ISBN
1040-2608
DOI
10.1016/j.alcr.2013.12.002
PMCID
PMC4040444
NIHMSID
NIHMS549482
Reference ID
4776
