Family composition and marital dissolution in rural Nepal, 1945–2008

Abstract

The presence, number, sex composition and age composition of children can have important influences on couples’ marital outcomes. Children are valued across settings, but their value in settings where there is an absence of formalized social security is unique. This paper explored the influences of childlessness, parity, sex composition, and age composition of children on the odds of marital dissolution among couples in rural Nepal. Results revealed that childless couples face significantly higher odds of dissolution than couples with at least one child, and each additional child—but only up to parity three—reduces couples’ odds of dissolution. Furthermore, having a child under age two reduces couples’ odds of marital dissolution, but interactions revealed that this age effect only holds at parity one. Surprisingly, despite a history of son preference in this setting, there was no evidence that children’s within-parity sex composition is associated with odds of marital dissolution.