All the Single Ladies Analysis of the Self-Rated Health of SWANS (Unmarried and Childfree Women)

Abstract

Rising rates of singlehood and childfreeness are emergent trends in the United States. Historically, shifts in family composition have always been important, but the increasing number of unmarried and childfree adults is just beginning to gain acknowledgment. Using the Social Determinants of Health and the Sojourner Syndrome Model as a framework, race and family type are used to investigate the emotional well-being of Black and White unmarried, childfree women, termed herein as SWANS (Single Women Alone with No Stabilizers [Husbands or Children]). The frequencies of self-rated health outcomes are analyzed to determine the association between family type, emotional health, and race. Using secondary data from the National Health Interview Series (2015–2018), binary logistic regression (N=3552) results indicate that the main independent variables of race and family type interact to differentiate emotional health outcomes. These findings persist despite adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that are known to influence emotional health, such as age, income, education, and insurance coverage status. This study found that Black SWANS have poorer emotional health than White SWANS. Notably, Black SWANS experience the lowest rates of emotional health. These findings persist despite adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that are known to influence health. The analysis further underscores the importance of focusing on intraracial variations in marriage and health, and supports feminist arguments regarding the methodological and conceptual challenges to studying women who exist on the margins of society and Black women in general. Taken together, the results move toward examining health and family policies to identify areas for potential policy change.