Social and Behavior Change Research Spotlights

The 31st edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book, an annual assessment of how children are faring in the United States and in each state, was published on June 22, 2020. The 2020 Data Book is based on the most recent data available (2018 data for most indicators) and document…

Economic and social constraints caused by the coronavirus pandemic have exacerbated the challenges of complex family living arrangements for noncustodial parents.

Household size and composition play an important role in the economic and social well-being of families and individuals. The number and characteristics of household members affect the types of relationships and the pool of economic resources available within households, and they may have a broader i…

Breakthrough RESEARCH, with input from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and cross-sectoral implementing partners, developed research and learning agendas (RLAs) to strengthen two important areas of social and behavior change (SBC) programming: integrated SBC programming…

The coronavirus pandemic, coupled with ongoing demographic trends, is making family life more complicated than ever—especially for working-poor families.

A household is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all the people who occupy a single housing unit, regardless of their relationship to one another. One person in each household is designated as the householder—the person, or one of the people ages 15 or older, in whose name the housing unit is own…

Women who experienced childhood adversity are more likely to have their first child early or outside of marriage, face a greater risk of cancer than men, and are particularly vulnerable to health impacts when they are lower income.

The 30th edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book was published on June 17, 2019. The KIDS COUNT Data Book, an annual assessment of how children are faring in the United States and in each state, features a comprehensive index of child well-being and includes a national profil…

When there’s a man in the house, U.S. mothers sleep less and spend more time on tasks like cooking, laundry, and cleaning. Contact: Leslie Aun  laun@prb.org WASHINGTON, D.C., May 8, 2019 – As families across the country prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, research funded by the Eunice Ke…

Scientists have long debated the importance of nature versus nurture—genes versus the environment—in shaping the choices people make and the paths their lives take. Two decades of research make it increasingly clear that both nature and nurture always play a role—that is, the extent to which genetic…

The chance of earning lower income in adulthood is greater for children raised in unstable families.

The 2018 Data Book focuses on key trends in child well-being during the economic recovery following the Great Recession. Over the last six years, children experienced gains in economic well-being, but results were mixed for the Health, Education, and Family and Community domains.

Children who enter kindergarten after experiencing repeated household changes are more likely to display problem behaviors that inhibit learning and disrupt classrooms. Such changes include residential moves and shifts in family composition and household routines.

Studies and analyses show an understanding of the dynamics of teenagers’ intimate relationships and attitudes is essential to any policy aimed at preventing teenage births.

Despite an almost continuous decline over the past twenty years, the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States remains substantially higher than in other industrialized nations. The birth rate for teenagers ages 15 to 19 in Washington, D.C. is the 13th highest in the nation.