title: Marital status, duration of cohabitation, and psychosocial well-being among childbearing women: a canadian nationwide survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the joint associations of marital status and duration of cohabitation on self-reported intimate partner violence, substance use, and postpartum depression among childbearing women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from the 2006-2007 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey, a cross-sectional nationwide sample of 6421 childbearing women. Cohabiting women were married or nonmarried women living with a partner; noncohabiters were single, divorced, or separated women. We further categorized cohabiters by their duration of cohabitation (≤ 2, 3-5, or > 5 years). We used logistic regression to generate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 92% of women were cohabiters. Compared with married women living with a husband more than 5 years, unmarried women cohabiting for 2 years or less were at higher odds of intimate partner violence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.64; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.85, 7.56), substance use (AOR = 5.36; 95% CI = 3.06, 9.39), and postpartum depression (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.25, 2.80); these risk estimates declined with duration of cohabitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research on maternal and child health would benefit from distinguishing between married and unmarried cohabiting women, and their duration of cohabitation.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Inner City Health, The Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto ON, M5B 1W8, Canada. urquiam@smh.ca
authors.forename: Marcelo L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Urquia
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: O'Campo
authors.forename: Joel G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult