title: The Role of Religion in Adolescence for Family Formation in Young Adulthood.
abstract: This paper examines the role of religion in adolescence for shaping subsequent family formation. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n=13,895). We explored the role of three dimensions of religious life-affiliation, attendance, and religious fervor, both singly and in combination for the transition to either marriage or cohabitation. Although each dimension predicted subsequent union formation, it was the particular combination of these dimensions that was important for understanding the likelihood of cohabiting. We also found evidence that patterns of religious identity, attendance, and fervor in adolescence were associated with the length of cohabitation, the likelihood of the cohabitation ending in marriage, and beliefs about the purpose of cohabitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Population Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eggebeen
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Virginia.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dew
keywords: Adolescence; Cohabitation; Marriage; Religion; Young Adulthood