Changes to family structure, household composition and address among young New Zealanders: an update

Abstract

In this article, we describe the life-time family structures, living arrangements, and residential mobility of 612 15-year-old New Zealanders and consider the differences in experiences of children born to younger and older mothers. All participants had a parent who is a member of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. Maternal age at the participant’s birth ranged from 16.3 to 41.0 years. Data on young people’s life-time care arrangements, household composition and shifts were collected from their primary caregiver via a life history calendar. Fewer than half lived in a household consisting of two biological parents and only a fifth had lived in a household consisting of only nuclear family members for all 15 years. Most also experienced multiple changes of address (median 6, range 1–27). Those born to older parents tended to have fewer changes to care arrangements and family structures but most young people experienced a substantial degree of change across their lives. These data indicate that complexity and change are normal in young New Zealanders’ living arrangements. We argue that conventional ideas about family structure should be re-examined.