Childhood Obesity Differences in Single-Father and Single-Mother Families
Abstract
Prior research consistently finds that children living in two-parent families are less likely to be obese than children in single-parent families. Most of the research that explores the relationship between family structure and childhood obesity is limited in its conceptualization of family structure, however, either ignoring single-father families or bunching them in the same category as single-mother families. Research on gender and families suggests that single fathers are different from single mothers in ways that may influence a child’s risk of obesity. We use data from the kindergarten wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 to explore differences in obesity rates for young children in single-father and single-mother families. Compared to single mothers, single fathers earn more and provide a slightly healthier home environment (less TV watching and more sharing of meals) but are more likely to work outside the home full-time. Children in single-father families are also more likely to be white and have fewer siblings. These differences counteract one another, resulting in similar levels of obesity in these two types of single-parent families.
Publication Title
Sociological Focus
Recommended Citation
Noonan, M., & Turchi, J. (2019). Childhood Obesity Differences in Single-Father and Single-Mother Families. Sociological Focus, 52 (3), 216-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380237.2019.1624234
