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Author: Osypuk, Theresa L.
Resulting in 2 citations.
1. Thyden, Naomi
Schmidt, Nicole
Osypuk, Theresa L.
The Unequal Distribution of Nuclear Family Deaths by Race and Its Effect on Attaining a College Degree
Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s): Childhood Adversity/Trauma; College Degree; Educational Attainment; Mortality; Racial Differences

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Young adults of color may be more likely to experience the death of a parent or sibling, since early mortality is more prevalent among certain racial/ethnic groups than whites. However, little research has investigated whether the devastating experience of nuclear family death varies by race, or how this death may affect important social determinants of health. Multiple logistic regression results using the longitudinal NLSY97 data showed that experiencing the death of a parent or sibling during early adulthood (ages 19-22) was significantly and negatively associated with obtaining a Bachelor's degree by ages 29-32 (OR=0.55, 95% CI =0.38, 0.81) compared to those not experiencing a family death. Family death during adolescence (ages 13-18) was not significantly associated with obtaining a Bachelor's degree. Because family deaths during early adulthood are associated with lower educational attainment, an important social determinant of health, this exposure may contribute to subsequent health disparities by race.
Bibliography Citation
Thyden, Naomi, Nicole Schmidt and Theresa L. Osypuk. "The Unequal Distribution of Nuclear Family Deaths by Race and Its Effect on Attaining a College Degree." Presented: Austin TX, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, April 2019.
2. Thyden, Naomi
Schmidt, Nicole
Osypuk, Theresa L.
The Unequal Distribution of Sibling and Parent Deaths by Race and its Effect on Attaining a College Degree
Annals of Epidemiology 45 (May 2020): 76-82.
Also: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279720301320
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Elsevier
Keyword(s): College Degree; Educational Attainment; Racial Differences; Trauma/Death in family

Purpose: Examine 1) the distribution of experiencing the death of a parent or sibling (family death) by race/ethnicity, and 2) how family death affects attaining a college degree.

Methods: Participants (N=8,984) were from National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 aged 13-17 at baseline in 1997, and 29-32 in 2013. We examined the prevalence of family deaths by age group and race/ethnicity, and used covariate-adjusted logistic regression to assess the relationship between a family death and college degree attainment.

Results: 4.2% of white youth experienced a family death, as did 5.0% of Hispanics, 8.3% of Blacks, 9.1% of Asians, and 13.8% of American Indians (group test p<0.001). A family death from ages 13-22 was associated with lower odds of obtaining a Bachelor's degree by ages 29-32 (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.50, 0.84), compared to no family death. The effect of a death was largest during college years (age 19-22) (OR=0.57, 95%CI=0.39, 0.82).

Bibliography Citation
Thyden, Naomi, Nicole Schmidt and Theresa L. Osypuk. "The Unequal Distribution of Sibling and Parent Deaths by Race and its Effect on Attaining a College Degree." Annals of Epidemiology 45 (May 2020): 76-82.