Determine the Factors of Female Early Age at First Cohabitation: A Case Study of Bangladesh

The main objective of the current study is to examine the existing situation of female early age at first cohabitation in Bangladesh as well as to identify the factors associated behind this issue. An analysis has been performed by using the secondary data of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011. Chi-square test for dependency checking has been performed as bivariate analysis. After performing bivariate analysis, binary logistic regression analysis has been performed. To identify the significant variable, stepwise regression method has also been performed. The result of the study has revealed that women education, household economic status, area of residence, religion and geographical location have significant contribution for adolescent cohabitation. From this study it can be concluded that females who has low education and low socio-economic status are more likely to enter into cohabitation at early adulthood.

Gendering the second demographic transition:gender asymmetry,gendered tension,and cohabitation in contemporary urban China

The Second Demographic Transition(SDT)framework highlights individuals'ideational shift toward greater individualism in explaining the rise of non-marriage unions.Contemporary China has seen a substantial increase in premarital cohabitation.Drawing on 65 in-depth interviews with highly educated young urban Chinese women and men,this article examines the gendered ways in which young Chinese adults perceive and make decisions about premarital cohabitation,as they envision their ideal lives and what autonomy and self-realization mean to them.I demonstrate that while male respondents predominantly view cohabitation positively as a risk-reduction strategy for avoiding incompatible marriages,female respondents still consider cohabitation to be a risk-amplification arrangement in practice that increases the possibility of uncertain marriage prospect,unsafe sex,and reputational damages.Young women,but not men,often have to strategizethrough carefully managing information disclosureabout persistent parental expectations that discourage women's premarital cohabitation.As a result,while male respondents regard marriage to be neither the necessary precondition nor the end goal of cohabitation,female respondents,who otherwise emphasize autonomy and individualistic fulfllment,continue to desire a close linkage between cohabitation and marriage.Leveraging the unique strength of qualitative data in demographic research,this article articulates the gender asymmetry in how women and men perceive cohabitation's risks,benefits,and link to marriage.I elucidate the gendered tension between privately-held ideals of individualism vis-a-vis enduring social norms of female marriageability,as women and men differentially navigate parental expectations surrounding cohabitation.In so doing,this article makes a theoretical contribution by bringing a careful treatment of gender into the SDT framework.

Cohabitation among Chinese minorities in Western countries: an alternative family formation strategy for disadvantaged groups?

Using data of Chinese immigrants extracted from the Belgian National Register registering a cohabitation or marriage between 2005 and 2015(N=3945),this study aims to advance the understanding of cohabitation among disadvantaged groups in local marriage markets.From the difference in prevalence of cohabitation between Chinese men and women,we conclude that Chinese immigrants could use cohabita-tion rather as a practical living arrangement in the context of recent migration rather than as an alternative to marriage,as the receiving society does.The practical living strategy of ethnic minorities enhances our understanding of cohabitation among dis-advantaged groups,for whom the choice for cohabiting would be largely influenced by the home familial culture.

Microbial dysbiosis in spouses of ulcerative colitis patients: any clues to disease pathogenesis?

A number of alterations have been found within the gutmicrobial profile of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases when compared with the healthy population; however, it is unclear whether such dysbiosis is the cause or simply the consequence of the disease state. In ulcerative colitis, the environment seems to play a crucial role in disease etiology since monozygotic twins show a concordance rate of only 8%-10%-though it is unclear whether it does so by acting through the microbiome. In this study, the authors investigated the influence of cohabitation on the gut microbial community in healthy partners of ulcerative colitis patients-with the intent of clarifying some of these issues. As expected, ulcerative colitis patients had a significant dysbiosis and alterations in microbial metabolism. Interestingly, these abnormal fecal microbial communities were relatively similar amongst patients and their spouses. Thus, this study shows that the microbial profile might be partially transferred from ulcerative colitis patients to healthy individuals. Whether this finding impacts on disease development or has any implication for the role of the microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease etiology remains to be determined.

Moving the Goalpost： ＂Come-We-Stay＂ Practice in Menchum Division （MD）, Cameroon

This paper seeks to understand people＇s perception of ＂come-we-stay＂ （CWS） cohabitation in Menchum Division （MD）, Cameroon. As in most of Africa, marriage is a valued institution that ensures the continuation of the family tree. The emergence of CWS is gathering momentum fast in many communities in the country much to the dislike,of the church and custodians of tradition who perceive CWS to be a cheap union form that breaches marriage norms. This paper seeks to address whether the emergence of CWS has affected marriage perceptions in MD. Initially, quantitative data were collected via online survey disseminated via Facebook. The time-efficiency, economic viability, convenience and anonymity of this method made it a viable method for this study. Later, however, due to a low response to the Facebook link, the online survey was constructed into a questionnaire and administered to the same target population. Questionnaires were relevant to this study because they could be self-administered. However, the questionnaires were limited as they did not allow for attention to details. The data were analysed using content analysis.

Did You Sleep Well,Darling?—Link between Sleep Quality and Relationship Quality

Background: Relationship quality and sleep quality influenced physiological and psychological health. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine a possible connection between relationship satisfaction and sleep quality and to test a theoretical model of sleep quality as related to relationship and psychological well-being. Methods: Fifty-one heterosexual, cohabitating couples between 24 and 70 years old participated. The relationship quality was measured by the German short version of relationship questionnaire. To determine the sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a two-week sleep diary were implemented. To gather information about psychological well-being, especially depression and anxiety, the German Symptom Checklist was used. Results: Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and relationship quality correlated significantly negative. In addition, the study found a positive correlation between sleep duration and relationship quality. In a multiple regression model, fighting and mental strain explained 38% of variance of sleep quality. Depression, anxiety and relationship quality showed no further improvement of the model. These findings suggested that relationship quality, constructive partnership behavior and mental strain played an essential role in sleep quality.

The second demographic transition:also a 21st century Asian challenge?

This introduction aims at placing the unfolding sub-patterns of the Asian“Second Demographic Transition”(SDT)in a global context by contrasting them with those of societies with other than patriarchal histories.Firstly,fertility transitions to below-replacement level can be achieved as part of the first“altruistic”transition without any SDT traits being present.Secondly,Asian societies are by no means immune to genuine SDT developments,as illustrated by the emergence and spread of pre-marital cohabitation.Thirdly,the SDT cohabitation pattern is still conservative:it is followed by marriage,pregnancies result in shotgun marriages or abortions,and parenthood within consensual unions remains rare.Also divorce rates are low.But it is also argued that all Asian cases are still at the beginning of the possible SDT evolution or have barely started it,and that old ways can die off rather quickly with the succession of generations.Finally,it is shown that the cultural component,i.e.the“Willingness”condition,can act as a bottleneck slowing down the transition to a new pattern of behaviour.We therefore illustrate on a global scale how the spread of cohabitation is part of a broader ethical revolution stressing individual rather than societal discretion in matters of life and death.On the basis of these profiles we expect stronger resistance to SDT patterns of partnerhip formation in Hindu and Muslim societies.

India’s date with second demographic transition

Using data from various sources,this paper discusses the recently documented below replacement level fertility in India in the context of the universality of marriage of girls,most of which are arranged by the parents,and increase in their mean age at marriage,mainly due to decrease in child marriage.There is virtually no increase in divorce rate,cohabitation,or voluntary childlessness,except for some anecdotal evidence from metro cities.The paper shows that the transition to small family in India is not due to cultural shifts towards post-modern attitudes and norms that accept and stress individuality and self-actualization.It is largely due to high aspirations among urban middle-class parents for children which can be fulfilled when they have one or at most two children in view of the rising cost of private English medium education and health care.