Search Results

View Selected Citations Select and View All Search Citations

Author: Sikora, Asia

Resulting in 5 citations.

1.	Averett, Susan L. Sikora, Asia Argys, Laura M.
1.	For Better or Worse: Relationship Status and Body Mass Index Economics and Human Biology 6,3 (December 2008): 330-349. Also: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570677X08000543 Cohort(s): NLSY79 Publisher: Elsevier Keyword(s): Body Mass Index (BMI); Ethnic Differences; Gender Differences; Health/Health Status/SF-12 Scale; Marriage; Modeling, Fixed Effects; Obesity; Racial Differences Recent increases in the incidence of obesity and declines in marriage have prompted policymakers to implement policies to mitigate these trends. This paper examines the link between these two outcomes. There are four hypotheses (selection, protection, social obligation and marriage market) that might explain the relationship between marital status transitions and changes in Body Mass Index (BMI). The selection hypothesis suggests that those with a lower BMI are more likely to be selected into marriage. The protection hypothesis states that married adults will have better physical health as a result of the increased social support and reduced incidence of risky behavior among married individuals. The social obligation hypothesis states that those in relationships may eat more regular meals and/or richer and denser foods due to social obligations which may arise because of marriage. Finally, the marriage market hypothesis indicates that when adults are no longer in the marriage market they may not maintain a healthy BMI because doing so is costly and they are in a stable union-or on the other hand, adults may enhance their prospects in the marriage market by losing weight. Taking advantage of longitudinal data and complete marriage histories in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we estimate individual fixed effects models to examine associations between the change in log BMI and the incidence of overweight and obesity, and changes in relationship status controlling for the effects of aging and other respondent characteristics. We find no support for the marriage protection hypothesis. Rather we find evidence supporting the social obligation and marriage market hypotheses-BMI increases for both men and women during marriage and in the course of a cohabiting relationship. Separate analyses by race and ethnicity reveal substantial differences in the response of BMI to relationship status across these groups.
	Bibliography Citation Averett, Susan L., Asia Sikora and Laura M. Argys. "For Better or Worse: Relationship Status and Body Mass Index." Economics and Human Biology 6,3 (December 2008): 330-349.

2.	Averett, Susan L. Sikora, Asia Argys, Laura M.
2.	For Better or Worse: Relationship Status and Body Mass Index Working Paper, Research Department Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, September 2007. Also: http://www.atl-res.com/macro/papers/Averett%20paper.pdf Cohort(s): NLSY79 Publisher: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Keyword(s): Body Mass Index (BMI); Ethnic Differences; Gender Differences; Health/Health Status/SF-12 Scale; Marriage; Modeling, Fixed Effects; Obesity; Racial Differences Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. Recent increases in the incidence of obesity and declines in marriage have prompted policymakers to implement policies to mitigate these trends. There are four hypotheses (selection, protection, social obligation and marriage market) that might explain the relationship between marital status transitions and changes in BMI. The selection hypothesis indicates that those with a lower BMI are more likely to be selected into marriage. The protection hypothesis states that married adults will have better physical health due to the increased social support and marriage and reduced incidence of risky behavior among married individuals. The social obligation hypothesis states that those in relationships may eat more regular meals and/or richer and denser foods due to social obligations one of which may be marriage. Finally, the marriage market hypothesis, as we term it, indicates that when adults are no longer in the marriage market they may not maintain a healthy BMI because doing so is costly and they are in a stable union—or on the other hand, adults may prepare for the marriage market by losing weight. Taking advantage of the longitudinal aspect and complete marriage histories provided in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, we estimate individual fixed effects model to examine the change in log body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of overweight and obesity, as a function of changes in relationship status controlling for the effects of aging and other respondent characteristics. We find no support for the marriage protection hypothesis. Rather we find evidence supporting the social obligation and marriage market hypotheses--BMI increases for both men and women during marriage and the course of a cohabiting relationship. Separate analyses by race and ethnicity reveal substantial differences in the response of BMI to relationship status.
	Bibliography Citation Averett, Susan L., Asia Sikora and Laura M. Argys. "For Better or Worse: Relationship Status and Body Mass Index." Working Paper, Research Department Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, September 2007.

3.	Joyner, Kara Peters, H. Elizabeth Hynes, Kathryn Sikora, Asia Taber, Jamie Rubenstein Rendall, Michael S.
3.	The Quality of Male Fertility Data in Major U.S. Surveys Demography 49,1 (February 2012): 101-124. Also: http://www.springerlink.com/content/n52u383172070883/ Cohort(s): NLSY79, NLSY97 Publisher: Population Association of America Keyword(s): Census of Population; Data Quality/Consistency; Fathers; Fathers, Biological; Fertility; Methods/Methodology; Monte Carlo; National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. Researchers continue to question fathers’ willingness to report their biological children in surveys and the ability of surveys to adequately represent fathers. To address these concerns, this study evaluates the quality of men’s fertility data in the 1979 and 1997 cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79 and NLSY97) and in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Comparing fertility rates in each survey with population rates based on data from Vital Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, we document how the incomplete reporting of births in different surveys varies according to men’s characteristics, including their age, race, marital status, and birth cohort. In addition, we use Monte Carlo simulations based on the NSFG data to demonstrate how birth underreporting biases associations between early parenthood and its antecedents. We find that in the NSFG, roughly four out of five early births were reported; but in the NLSY79 and NLSY97, almost nine-tenths of early births were reported. In all three surveys, incomplete reporting was especially pronounced for nonmarital births. Our results suggest that the quality of male fertility data is strongly linked to survey design and that it has implications for models of early male fertility.
	Bibliography Citation Joyner, Kara, H. Elizabeth Peters, Kathryn Hynes, Asia Sikora, Jamie Rubenstein Taber and Michael S. Rendall. "The Quality of Male Fertility Data in Major U.S. Surveys ." Demography 49,1 (February 2012): 101-124.

4.	Joyner, Kara Peters, H. Elizabeth Sikora, Asia Hynes, Kathryn Rubenstein, Jamie C.
4.	The Quality of Male Fertility Data in Major U.S. Surveys Presented: Dallas, TX, Population Association of America Meetings, April 2010 Cohort(s): NLSY79, NLSY97 Publisher: Population Association of America Keyword(s): Age and Ageing; Age at Birth; Census of Population; Data Quality/Consistency; Ethnic Differences; Fatherhood; Fathers; Fathers and Children; Fertility; Marital Status; Methods/Methodology; Monte Carlo; National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG); Racial Differences Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. Researchers continue to question fathers' willingness to report their biological children in surveys, and the ability of surveys to adequately represent them. To address these concerns, this study evaluates the quality of men's fertility data in the 1979 and 1997 Cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79 and NLSY97), and in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Comparing fertility rates in each survey to population rates based on the data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, we document how the undercount of births to men in different surveys varies according to several of their characteristics, including their age, race/ethnicity, marital status, and birth cohort. In addition, we use Monte Carlo simulations based on the NSFG data to demonstrate how birth undercounting biases associations between early parenthood and its antecedents.
	Bibliography Citation Joyner, Kara, H. Elizabeth Peters, Asia Sikora, Kathryn Hynes and Jamie C. Rubenstein. "The Quality of Male Fertility Data in Major U.S. Surveys." Presented: Dallas, TX, Population Association of America Meetings, April 2010.

5.	Maclean, Johanna Catherine Covington, Reginald Sikora, Asia
5.	Leaving School in an Economic Downturn: Long-Run Effects on Marriage and Fertility Presented: Boston MA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, May 2014 Cohort(s): NLSY79 Publisher: Population Association of America Keyword(s): Divorce; Dropouts; Economic Changes/Recession; Fertility; Marriage Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher. In this study we assess the long-run impact of leaving school in an economic downturn on marriage and fertility outcomes. We draw data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979. Our sample left school between 1976 and 1996, and we utilize variation in the state unemployment rate at the time of school-leaving to identify marriage and fertility effects. We find that men who left school in an economic downturn are less likely to be married and have children at age 40 than otherwise similar men while women are more likely to be divorced and to have children. Our results suggest that the marriage and fertility effects we observe operate through both divorce and failure to enter marriage. In an extension, we explore heterogeneity by worker characteristics and document the strongest effects for low skill and minority men.
	Bibliography Citation Maclean, Johanna Catherine, Reginald Covington and Asia Sikora. "Leaving School in an Economic Downturn: Long-Run Effects on Marriage and Fertility." Presented: Boston MA, Population Association of America Annual Meeting, May 2014.

Admin