TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic conditions, couple-level factors and union dissolution
AU - Vidal, Sergi
AU - Lam, Jack
AU - Baxter, Janeen
N1 - This work was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (project number CE140100027). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Research Council. This paper uses unit record data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The HILDA Project was initiated and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) and is managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (Melbourne Institute). The findings and views reported in this paper, however, are those of the author and should not be attributed to either DSS or the Melbourne Institute.
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - This paper examines the association between chronic illness and union dissolution by examining rich, longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Using competing-risks discrete-time event-history models on longitudinal, dyadic data, we find the risk of union dissolution to be approximately 40 percent higher when either partner reports an illness than in the absence of an illness. We then examine whether the observed associations are mediated by variations in paid work, housework, financial stress and time stress. Financial stress is the factor that contributes most to the indirect associations between dissolution and partner's health condition, but overall these factors account for only 18.5 percent of the association between chronic illness and relationship dissolution. Our results provide further insight into the factors undermining relationship stability and highlight the importance of reducing financial stress associated with chronic illness.
AB - This paper examines the association between chronic illness and union dissolution by examining rich, longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Using competing-risks discrete-time event-history models on longitudinal, dyadic data, we find the risk of union dissolution to be approximately 40 percent higher when either partner reports an illness than in the absence of an illness. We then examine whether the observed associations are mediated by variations in paid work, housework, financial stress and time stress. Financial stress is the factor that contributes most to the indirect associations between dissolution and partner's health condition, but overall these factors account for only 18.5 percent of the association between chronic illness and relationship dissolution. Our results provide further insight into the factors undermining relationship stability and highlight the importance of reducing financial stress associated with chronic illness.
KW - Chronic illness
KW - Gender
KW - Union dissolution
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114390361&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2020.100340
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcr.2020.100340
M3 - Article
C2 - 36698278
AN - SCOPUS:85114390361
SN - 1040-2608
VL - 45
JO - Advances in Life Course Research
JF - Advances in Life Course Research
M1 - 100340
ER -