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In the article titled "Recent Changes in the Trends of Teen Birth Rates", Phyllis Wingo, Ruben Smith, Heather Tevendale, and Cynthia Ferre explore trends of birth rates. More specifically, they studied the trends of teen parents and certain demographics. The methods they used included using data from birth certificates along with something called a joinpoint regression – a type of analysis that explains certain trends that are changing over sequential timespans. It takes this data and uses an annual percentage change (APC) to dictate the percentage of change, per segment. In order to obtain results that are more specific the age groups were broken up further (10-14, 15-17, and 18-19 years), at the time of pregnancy. The data was also broken up by race and whether they had Hispanic origin. The study spanned from 1981 to 2006, allowing for a broader data set. The data obtained for this study was obtained from the National Vital Statisics System at the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC). Race was one of the main demographics, including: Asian and Pacifiic Islander, Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and non-Hispanic black. They also included education, parity, and education level. The data was obtained from all state but there was one difference between education and the statistics obtained. Because the U.S. Certificate of live birth was revised two times during the study, the education portion included data for 51% of the births. The results are as follows: for those younger than 18 birth rates decline from 1994-2003 and 18-19 they decline from 1991-2004. During the most recent time span, trends were level with the exception to the declines of 18-19 whites and Asian/Pacific Islander teens and the increasing trends in 18-19 Hispanic teens. In conclusion, the study found that rates were increased among older Hispanics and teen birth rates began to level between 2003-2006 after an extensive decline. In general, the researchers found that we need to find a renewed and effective teen pregnancy prevention programs per certain demographics and specific populations. The main thing that was missing in this article were a larger choice of independent variables – it only includes age, race, and education.
In the article titled "Trends in Marital Happiness by Gender and Race, 1973 to 2006", Mamadi Corra, Shannon Carter, J. Scott Carter, David Knox studied the impact race and gender have on a marriage and overall happiness. The data used in this article was obtained via the General Social Survey (GGS) – which is a national sample of English-speaking adults. The National Opinion Research Center performed this survey annually from 1972-1994 and every two years following that. The dependent variable was asking how each person would describe his or her marriage. For each answer a number was assigned and per each answer, the higher the score the happier the marriage. The answers included very happy, pretty happy, or not so happy. For the couple who refused to answer or did not know their answer were not included in the survey. The independent variable included white husband/wife, black husband/wife, work status, divorced, child in home, age, family income, education of respondent and spouse, religion. The survey found that white husbands were the most happy but there has been a decline. Black wives reported the lowest level of satisfaction. The survey had multiple limitations including there is only being one measure of marital happiness, two races being included, how long a couple had been married, homosexual marriages, and how many times a respondent had been divorced. The data shows that there is a statistical significance between race and gender along with work status and income.
Wingo, Phyllis, Ruben Smith, Heather Tevendale, and Cynthia Ferré. "Recent Changes in the Trends of Teen Birth Rates, 1981–2006." Journal of Adolescent Health, 48.3 (2011): 281-288
Corra, Mamadi, Shannon Carter, J. Scott Carter, and David Knox. "Trends in Marital Happiness by Gender and Race, 1973 to 2006." Journal of Family Issues, 30.10 (2009): 1379-1404.
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