Defining and Identifying Only Children
A Research Note on the Concept and Measurement Illustrated With UK Survey Data
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10967919 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jenny Chanfreau (0000-0003-3914-5859, University of Sussex, corresponding author), A Goisis (0000-0002-3038-0337, UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, University College London, London, UK) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2024-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Demography (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0070-3370 • E-ISSN: 1533-7790 |
| Publisher | Duke University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1215/00703370-11123969 |
| PMID | 38167701 |
| OpenAlex | W4390537686 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 23 |
Despite increasing interest in the circumstances and outcomes of only children in the demographic literature, the conceptualization of this group has received limited scholarly attention. This research note argues for greater engagement by demographers and social scientists in the conceptualization and identification of only children by addressing three aims. First, we outline potential definitions of only children, present a framework to guide researchers' decisions, and evaluate whether only children can be reliably identified using the British birth cohort studies. Second, we show that the prevalence estimates are contingent on the timing of measurement in childhood, indicating the need for caution when deriving only-child status from cross-sectional household grid data. Third, we demonstrate that both the size and the characteristics of the only-child group may differ across definitions, highlighting that the accurate operationalization of some definitions is particularly restricted by survey designs that prioritize mothers for data collection on children and families. We argue that researchers interested in sole children's outcomes must choose the most appropriate measure for a given research question and, given that many datasets limit how accurately any indicator of only children can capture the chosen definition, reflect on how the operationalization of their measure might affect the results
Conceptualization · Data collection · Developmental psychology · Epistemology · Identification (biology · Operationalization · Social science · Sociology · Birth, Development, and Health · Computer Science · Health disparities and outcomes · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology
Family Size and Achievement
Only children in Britain
Siblings and life transitions
Fewer Siblings, More Wealth? Sibship Size and Wealth Attainment
Patterns of help and care by adult only children and children with siblings
Is the Family Size of Parents and Children Still Related? Revisiting the Cross-Generational Relationship Over the Last Century
Overview Chapter 2
When Bigger Is Not Better
Family Location and Caregiving Patterns from an International Perspective
Health outcomes of only children across the life course
The effect of number of siblings on adult mortality
East Asian Childbearing Patterns and Policy Developments
The sibsize revolution in an international context
The one-child family
The Developmental Tasks of Siblingship over the Life Cycle
Number of Siblings During Childhood and the Likelihood of Divorce in Adulthood
Playing Well with Others in Kindergarten
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |