Variables selected for analysis

4.4.1 Variables to be used in the analysis of those becoming a lone mother

through the breakdown of a partnership

Table 4.2a Fixed-time demographic variables included in the analysis of

repartnering for those becoming a lone mother through the breakdown of a

partnership

Variable

Coding

Notes

Age 1 = 18-24 years

2 = 25-29 years 3 = 30-34 years 4 = 35 + years Number of children 1 = One child

2 = Two children

3 = Three or more children Age of youngest child 1 = Under 5 years

2 = 5-11 years 3 = 12-15 years Type of lone mother 1 = Previously married

2 = Previously cohabiting Previous union duration 1 = Less than 5 years

2 = 5 to 9 years 3 = 10-14 years 4 = 15 years and over Total number of previous

partnerships

1 = 1 partner 2 = 2 partners

3 = 3 or more partners

Included in the analysis of repartnering among those becoming a lone mother through the separation of a previous partnership were a number of demographic and

socioeconomic variables. Many of these were fixed-time covariates taken from the survey year in which a woman was first observed to be a lone mother and can be found in Tables 4.2a above and 4.2b below. For example, if a woman was found to become a lone mother between the 1991 and 1992 survey waves, then the variables refer to her response given in 1992.

Table 4.2b Fixed-time socio-economic variables included in the analysis of

repartnering for both samples

Variable

Coding

Notes

Highest Academic qualification* 1 = Degree, HND, HNC, teaching qualification 2 = A levels 3 = O levels 4 = CSE 5 = None of these Housing tenure* 1 = Owner occupier

2 = Local authority/Housing assoc. rented

3 = Other rented

Social class* 1 = Professional & managerial/ technical occupation 2 = Skilled non-manual 3 = Skilled manual 4 = Partly skilled/unskilled occupation 5 = Missing

Registrar General’s social class and based on occupation of most recent job.

Missing category includes those where social class is either missing due to item non-response or because the woman had never had a job.

Region 1 = Southern regions

2 = Northern regions 3 = Wales/Scotland/N.I.

*variables missing if proxy/telephone interview

Other fixed-time covariates included in the analysis were taken from the “Variable component” or “Rotating-core” group of questions in the survey (described above) which were only asked in certain waves of the BHPS (Table 4.3). Some of these variables established the ‘initial conditions’ such as ethnic group membership and were obviously fixed for each respondent across the length of time in the study and hence only collected at the time of first interview. Others, such as religion, were collected at various points throughout the survey. In this analysis the variables for religion and attendance at religious services refer to their response given either in the first year they were observed to have become a lone mother, if it was asked in that particular year, or at the closest possible wave (either before or after this time) for those where it was not asked in this year.

Table 4.3 Fixed-time variables (taken from other waves) included in the

analysis of repartnering for both samples

Variable

Coding

Notes

Ethnicity 1 = White 2 = Other Religion 1 = No religion 2 = C of E/Anglican 3 = Roman Catholic 4 = Other religion Attendance at religious services

1 = Once a week or more 2 = At least once a month 3 = At least once a year 4 = Practically never 5 = Only weddings/funerals

Several time-varying variables were also investigated in the analysis and these can be seen in Table 4.4 below. These were collected at each wave a respondent remained in the study and were therefore allowed to vary over the years at risk of repartnering for each respondent. In order to make sure that these variables relate to the circumstance of a woman before she repartners these variables were lagged by one year. For example, the variable for employment status in each period refers to a lone mother’s employment status at the beginning of the interval over which she is at risk.

Table 4.4 Time-varying variables included in the analysis of repartnering

for both samples

Variable

Coding

Notes

Current employment status 1 = Employed 2 = Unemployed 3 = Family care 4 = Other Receipt of Maintenance or Alimony* 1 = Yes 2 = No

Has received alimony/maintenance over the past year

Receipt of Income Support*

1 = Yes 2 = No

Has received income support over the past year

Receipt of Housing Benefit*

1 = Yes 2 = No

Has received housing benefit over the past year

Financial situation* 1 = Living comfortably 2 = Doing alright

3 = Just about getting by 4 = Finding it quite difficult 5 = Finding it very difficult

Self-perceived financial situation over the past year

Limiting health 1 = Yes 2 = No

Does your health in any way limit your daily activities compared to most people of your age?

GHQ Score* 1 = GHQ 0-3

2 = GHQ 4-6 3 = GHQ 7-12

Answers to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) question battery converted to a 12 point scale.

Annual income* 1 = £5,000 or less

2 = £5,000.01- £10,000.00 3 = £10,000.01- £15,000.00 4 = £15,000.01- £20,000.00 5 = £20,000.01 or more 6 = Missing

Household type 1 = Lone parent household 2 = Couple or other household

*variables missing if proxy/telephone interview

Finally, two control variables were used (see Table 4.5), one to control for the year a woman entered lone motherhood and another to control for the sample a lone mother was from (e.g. original Essex sample or from the ECHP or extension samples)

Table 4.5 Control variables included in the analysis of repartnering for both

samples

Variable

Coding

Notes

Year of entry to lone motherhood 1 = 1992 2 = 1993-1994 3 = 1995-1996 4 = 1997-1999 5 = 2000-2003

Where 1992 refers to a woman becoming a lone mother at some time between the 1991 and 1992 survey waves, for example

Sample membership status

1 = Original Essex sample 2 = Extension sample

Where extension sample category includes all those in the Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Extension samples as well as those from the ECHP sub-samples

4.4.2 Variables to be used in the analysis of those becoming a lone mother

through having a birth whilst single and never-married

For the analysis of repartnering among those becoming a lone mother through having a birth whilst single and never-married, again, a variety of time-fixed covariates and time- varying covariates were under investigation. Except for the fixed-time demographic variables collected at the time of becoming a lone mother (see Table 4.6 below) other variables to be included in the analysis were the same as in the analysis of those becoming a lone mother through the breakdown of a union (found in Tables 4.2b, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.5).

Table 4.6 Fixed-time demographic variables for single never-married lone

mothers

Variable Coding Notes

Age 1 = 16-19 years 2 = 20-24 years 3 = 25-29 4 = 30+ years No. of previous partnerships 1 = No previous partner 2 = 1 partner 3 = 2 partners