Effect of Pharmacy Involvement in Transitions of Care for Children With Medical Complexity.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of pharmacy integration into care transitions for children with medical complexity. These children are at a higher risk for medication errors and adverse effects because of their complex medication regimens. In addition, care transitions increase the risk for medication errors, especially during hospital-to-home transitions. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients enrolled in a complex care clinic who were discharged between September 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021, and who had received a discharge medication evaluation. Intervention categories were predetermined (medication reconciliation and clinical interventions) and documented. The primary outcome was to quantify and characterize the types of interventions made by the pharmacist. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Continuous data were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum test, and correlation was measured using Spearman correlation values. RESULTS: A total of 92 clinic encounters for 60 patients were included, with a median patient age of 7 years (IQR, 5-12.3), median length of stay of 3.2 days (IQR, 1.2-5.7), and a median number of 18 discharge medications (IQR, 14.8-25). A total of 283 interventions were made, consisting of 192 (68%) clinical interventions and 91 (32%) medication reconciliation interventions. In addition, 82 (89%) of the clinic encounters had at least one pharmacist intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist evaluation of a patient's discharge medication regimen clarifies and better optimizes the patient's medication regimen.

The role of stigma and spirituality on mental health help-Seeking behavior: an experimental approach.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this research is to examine how social marketing messages can be developed to reduce the stigma associated with seeking help for mental health conditions. It also explores the role that spirituality plays in an individual's propensity to pursue help for mental health challenges. METHODS: A two-factor between-subjects experiment (ad message: destigmatizing and control × spirituality: high and low) between-subjects design was conducted with 275 participants from the millennial generational cohort in the United States. Responses were collected using an online consumer panel. RESULTS: Findings indicate that when presented with an advertisement that reduces the stigma associated with mental illness, individuals have a more favorable emotional reaction toward seeking help for a mental health condition. In addition, spirituality moderates the effect of advertising on mental health help-seeking behavior. Individuals with more intrinsic spirituality are more likely to seek care for a mental health issue, whereas those who report less intrinsic spirituality may need the help of destigmatizing messages. Specifically, individuals who report less intrinsic spirituality have more favorable attitudes toward an advertisement that destigmatizes mental illness, and as a result express greater intentions to seek care for a mental health condition. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to discussions centered on better understanding how to break down barriers to seeking aid for mental illness. Messaging which destigmatizes mental illness might start by targeting those who are less inclined to believe in transcendence. Moreover, since spirituality also includes a search for meaning, connectedness, and growth, such messaging might also be beneficial to those who are less likely to engage in activities which link the mind, body and spirit, such as meditation, mindfulness and yoga.

Accuracy of the Exeter Hospitalizations-Office Visits-Medical Conditions-Extra Care-Social Concerns Index for Identifying Children With Complex Chronic Medical Conditions in the Clinical Setting.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the accuracy of a point-of-care instrument, the Hospitalizations-Office Visits-Medical Conditions-Extra Care-Social Concerns (HOMES) instrument, in identifying patients with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) compared to an algorithm used to identify patients with CCCs within large administrative data sets. METHODS: We compared the HOMES to Feudtner's CCCs classification system. Using administrative algorithms, we categorized primary care patients at a children's hospital into 3 categories: no chronic conditions, non-complex chronic conditions, and CCCs. We randomly selected 100 patients from each category. HOMES scoring was completed for each patient. We performed an optimal cut-point analysis on 80% of the sample to determine which total HOMES score best identified children with ≥1 CCC and ≥2 CCCs. Using the optimal cut points and the remaining 20% of the study population, we determined the odds and area under the curve (AUC) of having ≥1 CCC and ≥2 CCCs. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 4 (IQR: 0, 8). Using optimal cut points of ≥7 for ≥1 CCC and ≥11 for ≥2 CCCs, the odds of having ≥1 CCC was 19 times higher than lower scores (odds ratio [OR] 19.1 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.75, 37.5]) and of having ≥2 CCCs was 32 times higher (OR 32.3 [95% CI: 12.9, 50.6]). The AUCs were 0.76 for ≥1 CCC (sensitivity 0.82, specificity 0.80) and 0.74 for ≥2 CCCs (sensitivity 0.92, specificity 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The HOMES accurately identified patients with CCCs.

Effectiveness of Screening for Household Gun Ownership in an Urban Primary Care Clinic.

Gun-related suicide and homicide are leading causes of death among children. Little is known about the effectiveness of screening for gun ownership in primary care. We examined positive gun ownership screens over a 2.5-year period in a pediatric primary care clinic. The main outcome was a positive screen for gun ownership. The main predictors included insurance type, neighborhood median income, number of clinic visits, and other social needs. Of 19 163 patients, 474 (2.5%) screened positive for gun ownership. Patients with private insurance and from higher income neighborhoods had 2 to 3 times higher odds of a positive screen. Patients with more visits and with food insecurity had approximately 2 to 4 times the odds of a positive screen for household gun ownership. In conclusion, the rate of positive gun ownership screens was very low and far below known gun ownership rates. Improved screening methods could better identify opportunities for gun safety advocacy.

Efficacy and Safety of an Ad26.RSV.preF-RSV preF Protein Vaccine in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can cause serious lower respiratory tract disease in older adults, but no licensed RSV vaccine currently exists. An adenovirus serotype 26 RSV vector encoding a prefusion F (preF) protein (Ad26.RSV.preF) in combination with RSV preF protein was previously shown to elicit humoral and cellular immunogenicity. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2b, proof-of-concept trial to evaluate the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of an Ad26.RSV.preF-RSV preF protein vaccine. Adults who were 65 years of age or older were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive vaccine or placebo. The primary end point was the first occurrence of RSV-mediated lower respiratory tract disease that met one of three case definitions: three or more symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection (definition 1), two or more symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection (definition 2), and either two or more symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection or one or more symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection plus at least one systemic symptom (definition 3). RESULTS: Overall, 5782 participants were enrolled and received an injection. RSV-mediated lower respiratory tract disease meeting case definitions 1, 2, and 3 occurred in 6, 10, and 13 vaccine recipients and in 30, 40, and 43 placebo recipients, respectively. Vaccine efficacy was 80.0% (94.2% confidence interval [CI], 52.2 to 92.9), 75.0% (94.2% CI, 50.1 to 88.5), and 69.8% (94.2% CI, 43.7 to 84.7) for case definitions 1, 2, and 3, respectively. After vaccination, RSV A2 neutralizing antibody titers increased by a factor of 12.1 from baseline to day 15, a finding consistent with other immunogenicity measures. Percentages of participants with solicited local and systemic adverse events were higher in the vaccine group than in the placebo group (local, 37.9% vs. 8.4%; systemic, 41.4% vs. 16.4%); most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity. The frequency of serious adverse events was similar in the vaccine group and the placebo group (4.6% and 4.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In adults 65 years of age or older, Ad26.RSV.preF-RSV preF protein vaccine was immunogenic and prevented RSV-mediated lower respiratory tract disease. (Funded by Janssen Vaccines and Prevention; CYPRESS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03982199.).

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: COVID Concerns and Partnered U.S. Mothers' Employment during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Shutdowns of in-person school and childcare in spring 2020 in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were associated with substantial reductions in mothers' labor force participation (LFP). By fall 2020, in-person school and daycare were more widely available, but mothers' LFP remained as low as it was in spring. Coincidently, by fall 2020, daily COVID deaths had also began to peak. Using unique panel survey data from partnered U.S. mothers (n = 263), the authors use structural equation modeling to analyze how mothers' concerns over COVID shaped their LFP in fall 2020. Findings show that mothers' COVID concerns were associated with reduced LFP via children's time at home, perceived stress, and remote work. Concerned mothers were more likely to keep children home, but this resulted in less paid work likely vis-à-vis work-family conflicts. The findings illuminate one reason mothers' LFP failed to rebound in fall 2020 despite increased access to in-person school and daycare.

Phase 1/2a Safety and Immunogenicity of an Adenovirus 26 Vector Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine Encoding Prefusion F in Adults 18-50 Years and RSV-Seropositive Children 12-24 Months.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a leading cause of pediatric morbidity, with no approved vaccine. We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of the Ad26.RSV.preF vaccine candidate in adults and children. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, phase 1/2a, placebo-controlled study, 12 adults (18-50 years) and 36 RSV-seropositive children (12-24 months) were randomized 2:1 to Ad26.RSV.preF (1 × 1011 viral particles [vp] for adults, 5 × 1010 vp for children) or placebo, at day 1 and 29, with 6-month immunogenicity and 1-year safety follow-up. Respiratory syncytial virus infection was an exploratory outcome in children. RESULTS: In adults, solicited adverse events (AEs) were generally mild to moderate, with no serious AEs. In children, no vaccination-related serious AEs were reported; fever was reported in 14 (58.3%) Ad26.RSV.preF recipients. Baseline pediatric geometric mean titers for RSV A2 neutralization increased from 121 (95% confidence interval [CI], 76-191) to 1608 (95% CI, 730-3544) at day 29, and 2235 (95% CI, 1586-3150) at day 57, remaining elevated over 7 months. Respiratory syncytial virus infection was confirmed in fewer children receiving Ad26.RSV.preF (1, 4.2%) than placebo (5, 41.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Ad26.RSV.preF demonstrated immunogenicity in healthy adults and toddlers, with no safety concerns raised. Evaluations in RSV-seronegative children are underway.

A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 1 Study of Ad26.ZIKV.001, an Ad26-Vectored Anti-Zika Virus Vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) may cause severe congenital disease after maternal-fetal transmission. No vaccine is currently available. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and immunogenicity of Ad26.ZIKV.001, a prophylactic ZIKV vaccine candidate. DESIGN: Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03356561). SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: 100 healthy adult volunteers. INTERVENTION: Ad26.ZIKV.001, an adenovirus serotype 26 vector encoding ZIKV M-Env, administered in 1- or 2-dose regimens of 5 × 1010 or 1 × 1011 viral particles (vp), or placebo. MEASUREMENTS: Local and systemic adverse events; neutralization titers by microneutralization assay (MN50) and T-cell responses by interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot and intracellular cytokine staining; and protectivity of vaccine-induced antibodies in a subset of participants through transfer in an exploratory mouse ZIKV challenge model. RESULTS: All regimens were well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified. In both 2-dose regimens, ZIKV neutralizing titers peaked 14 days after the second vaccination, with geometric mean MN50 titers (GMTs) of 1065.6 (95% CI, 494.9 to 2294.5) for 5 × 1010 vp and 956.6 (595.8 to 1535.8) for 1 × 1011 vp. Titers persisted for at least 1 year at a GMT of 68.7 (CI, 26.4-178.9) for 5 × 1010 vp and 87.0 (CI, 29.3 to 258.6) for 1 × 1011 vp. A 1-dose regimen of 1 × 1011 vp Ad26.ZIKV.001 induced seroconversion in all participants 56 days after the first vaccination (GMT, 103.4 [CI, 52.7 to 202.9]), with titers persisting for at least 1 year (GMT, 90.2 [CI, 38.4 to 212.2]). Env-specific cellular responses were induced. Protection against ZIKV challenge was observed after antibody transfer from participants into mice, and MN50 titers correlated with protection in this model. LIMITATION: The study was conducted in a nonendemic area, so it did not assess safety and immunogenicity in a flavivirus-exposed population. CONCLUSION: The safety and immunogenicity profile makes Ad26.ZIKV.001 a promising candidate for further development if the need reemerges. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: Janssen Vaccines and Infectious Diseases.

Pharmacist Integration Into Care for Patients With Medical Complexity: An Intervention to Optimize Complex Therapeutic Regimens Through Medication Services.

Children with medical complexity have a significant impact on health care cost and outcomes. Children with medical complexity are at risk for substantial polypharmacy and inherent drug-related dangers. In this special article, we describe the integration of clinical pharmacy services into our clinic for children with medical complexity. We review the process that yields results by effectively managing patients' medications across the continuum of care while also possibly improving health care spending and outcomes.

Phase 1 Safety and Immunogenicity Study of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine With an Adenovirus 26 Vector Encoding Prefusion F (Ad26.RSV.preF) in Adults Aged ≥60 Years.

BACKGROUND: Despite the high disease burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in older adults, there is no approved vaccine. We evaluated the experimental RSV vaccine, Ad26.RSV.preF, a replication-incompetent adenovirus 26 vector encoding the F protein stabilized in prefusion conformation. METHODS: This phase 1 clinical trial was performed in healthy adults aged ≥60 years. Seventy-two participants received 1 or 2 intramuscular injections of low-dose (LD; 5 × 1010 vector particles) or high-dose (HD; 1 × 1011 vector particles) Ad26.RSV.preF vaccine or placebo, with approximately 12 months between doses and 2-year follow-up for safety and immunogenicity outcomes. RESULTS: Solicited adverse events were reported by 44% of vaccine recipients and were transient and mild or moderate in intensity. No serious adverse events were related to vaccination. After the first vaccination, geometric mean titers for RSV-A2 neutralization increased from baseline (432 for LD and 512 for HD vaccine) to day 29 (1031 for LD and 1617 for HD). Pre-F-specific antibody geometric mean titers and median frequencies of F-specific interferon γ-secreting T cells also increased substantially from baseline. These immune responses were still maintained above baseline levels 2 years after immunization and could be boosted with a second immunization at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Ad26.RSV.preF (LD and HD) had an acceptable safety profile and elicited sustained humoral and cellular immune responses after a single immunization in older adults.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Early and Nonmarital Fertility, and Women's Health at Midlife.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have powerful consequences for health and well-being throughout the life course. We draw on evidence that exposure to ACEs shapes developmental processes central to emotional regulation, impulsivity, and the formation of secure intimate ties to posit that ACEs shape the timing and context of childbearing, which in turn partially mediate the well-established effect of ACEs on women's later-life health. Analysis of 25 years of nationally representative panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY79; n = 3,893) indicates that adverse childhood experiences predict earlier age at first birth and greater odds of having a nonmarital first birth. Age and marital status at first birth partially mediate the effect of ACEs on women's health at midlife. Implications for public health and family policy aimed at improving maternal and child well-being are discussed.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: Relationships Among Program Awareness, Use, and State Mandates.

The inappropriate use of opioids in the United States has increased markedly and has resulted in a tragic loss of lives. To combat this problem, prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) have been instituted in most states. Use of the programs is voluntary for prescribers in some states, whereas in other states it is mandatory. The current study used a self-report survey instrument that was administered to 223 participant physicians. The goal of the study was to compare awareness and use of the PDMP in a state that mandates use (Ohio) with one that does not (North Carolina). Although awareness was not significantly different between respondents from the two states, self-reported use was significantly higher in the state mandating use (Ohio post-mandate vs. Ohio pre-mandate: 64% vs. 51%; χ2 = 15.66, P < .0001; and Ohio post-mandate vs. North Carolina: 64% vs. 42%; χ2 = 12.76, P < .0001). Based on these results, mandating use may be an effective method to increase PDMP utilization.

Promoting Oral Health in Childhood: A Quality Improvement Project.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends periodic oral health risk assessments (OHRAs) for young children to prevent early childhood caries and promote oral health. The objective of this quality improvement project was to incorporate OHRAs, including documentation of the oral screening examination, into well-child visits for patients aged 12 to 47 months to drive (1) improved rates of preventive fluoride varnish (FV) application and (2) improved dental referrals for children at high risk for caries. METHODS: We identified a quality gap in our OHRAs, oral examination completion, FV application rates, and dental referral rates via retrospective data collection. Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles targeted modification of electronic medical record templates, oral health education, and standardization of work processes. Process and outcome measures were analyzed with statistical process control charts. RESULTS: At baseline, OHRAs and oral screening examinations were documented in <2% of patients. Of eligible children, 42% had FV applied. Routine dental referrals before age 3 years were uncommon. After multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, documentation of OHRAs and oral screening examinations (process measures) improved to 45% and 73%, respectively. The primary outcome measure, FV rates, improved to 86%. Referral of high-risk patients to a dentist improved to 54%. CONCLUSIONS: A systematic, evidence-based approach to improving oral health, including electronic medical record-based interventions, resulted in improved documentation of oral health risks and oral screening, improved rates of FV application in young children, and increased identification and referral of high-risk patients.

Using quality improvement methods to increase use of pain prevention strategies for childhood vaccination.

AIM: To increase evidence-based pain prevention strategy use during routine vaccinations in a pediatric primary care clinic using quality improvement methodology. METHODS: Specific intervention strategies (i.e., comfort positioning, nonnutritive sucking and sucrose analgesia, distraction) were identified, selected and introduced in three waves, using a Plan-Do-Study-Act framework. System-wide change was measured from baseline to post-intervention by: (1) percent of vaccination visits during which an evidence-based pain prevention strategy was reported as being used; and (2) caregiver satisfaction ratings following the visit. Additionally, self-reported staff and caregiver attitudes and beliefs about pain prevention were measured at baseline and 1-year post-intervention to assess for possible long-term cultural shifts. RESULTS: Significant improvements were noted post-intervention. Use of at least one pain prevention strategy was documented at 99% of patient visits and 94% of caregivers were satisfied or very satisfied with the pain prevention care received. Parents/caregivers reported greater satisfaction with the specific pain prevention strategy used [t(143) = 2.50, P ≤ 0.05], as well as greater agreement that the pain prevention strategies used helped their children's pain [t(180) = 2.17, P ≤ 0.05] and that they would be willing to use the same strategy again in the future [t(179) = 3.26, P ≤ 0.001] as compared to baseline. Staff and caregivers also demonstrated a shift in attitudes from baseline to 1-year post-intervention. Specifically, staff reported greater agreement that the pain felt from vaccinations can result in harmful effects [2.47 vs 3.10; t(70) = -2.11, P ≤ 0.05], less agreement that pain from vaccinations is "just part of the process" [3.94 vs 3.23; t(70) = 2.61, P ≤ 0.05], and less agreement that parents expect their children to experience pain during vaccinations [4.81 vs 4.38; t(69) = 2.24, P ≤ 0.05]. Parents/caregivers reported more favorable attitudes about pain prevention strategies for vaccinations across a variety of areas, including safety, cost, time, and effectiveness, as well as less concern about the pain their children experience with vaccination [4.08 vs 3.26; t(557) = 6.38, P ≤ 0.001], less need for additional pain prevention strategies [3.33 vs 2.81; t(476) = 4.51, P ≤ 0.001], and greater agreement that their doctors' office currently offers pain prevention for vaccinations [3.40 vs 3.75; t(433) = -2.39, P ≤ 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Quality improvement methodology can be used to help close the gap in implementing pain prevention strategies during routine vaccination procedures for children.

Childhood Adversity and Men's Relationships in Adulthood: Life Course Processes and Racial Disadvantage.

OBJECTIVES: Prior U.S. population studies have found that childhood adversity influences the quality of relationships in adulthood, with emerging research suggesting that this association might be especially strong for black men. We theorize psychosocial and behavioral coping responses to early life adversity and how these responses may link early life adversity to strain in men's relationships with their indeterminate partners and children across the life course, with attention to possible racial variation in these experiences and implications for later life well-being. METHOD: We analyze in-depth interviews with 15 black men and 15 white men. We use qualitative analysis techniques to connect childhood experiences to psychosocial processes in childhood and behavioral coping strategies associated with relationship experiences throughout adulthood. RESULTS: Black men describe much stronger and more persistent childhood adversity than do white men. Findings further suggest that childhood adversity contributes to psychosocial processes (e.g., diminished sense of mastery) that may lead to ways of coping with adversity (e.g., self-medication) that are likely to contribute to relationship difficulties throughout the life span. DISCUSSION: A life course perspective directs attention to the early life origins of cumulative patterns of social disadvantage, patterns that extend to later life. Our findings suggest psychosocial and behavioral pathways through which early life adversity may constrain and strain men's relationships, possibly contributing to racial inequality in family relationships across the life span.

Parent Attitudes Toward Pain Management for Childhood Immunizations.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence-based pain-limiting strategies for pediatric immunizations remain underutilized, with barriers identified to date mostly pertaining to health care providers and systems of care. The present study sought to quantify and investigate parent attitudes toward pain management as another potential barrier to the routine use of pain-mitigating strategies during immunizations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires measuring parent attitudes, willingness to pay, and perceived barriers for using pain management for immunizations were completed by 259 parent/guardians of children ages 0 to 5 years attending appointments at an urban primary care clinic in the Midwestern United States. RESULTS: Parent attitudes toward pain management for immunization were relatively normally distributed and varied from strongly positive to negative, with 33% of parents disagreeing that they were concerned about the pain their child may experience and 50% agreeing that there are no lasting negative effects from immunization pain. Negative parent attitudes were associated with willingness to spend less in money or time for pain management and with greater perceived significance of cost, time, and other barriers for using pain-mitigating strategies. DISCUSSION: Some parents perceive limited value in trying to reduce pain during immunizations such that they may be hesitant to invest much time or effort in interventions. Greater success of translating evidence-based pain management into practice therefore may require accounting for differences in parent attitudes by tailoring educational efforts and pain management options accordingly.

REEXAMINING THE ASSOCIATION OF MATERNAL AGE AND MARITAL STATUS AT FIRST BIRTH WITH YOUTH EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT.

Using data from the linked Children and Young Adult sample (N = 2,865) of the NLSY79, we reexamined the association of maternal age and marital status at birth with youth high school completion, assessing multiple age categories and race/ethnic variations. Youth born to older teen mothers were no more likely to graduate from high school than those born to the youngest teen mothers. Although delaying childbirth to young adulthood (age 20-24) was associated with greater odds of children's high school completion compared to the earliest teen births, those born to young adult mothers were disadvantaged compared to those born to mothers age 25 or older. Being born to an unmarried mother was associated with lower odds of high school completion but this did not fully explain the estimated effect of maternal age at birth. We found no evidence that maternal age at birth more strongly predicted high school graduation for White compared to Latino or Black youth.

First-birth Timing, Marital History, and Women's Health at Midlife.

Despite evidence that first-birth timing influences women's health, the role of marital status in shaping this association has received scant attention. Using multivariate propensity score matching, we analyze data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 to estimate the effect of having a first birth in adolescence (prior to age 20), young adulthood (ages 20-24), or later ages (ages 25-35) on women's midlife self-assessed health. Findings suggest that adolescent childbearing is associated with worse midlife health compared to later births for black women but not for white women. Yet, we find no evidence of health advantages of delaying first births from adolescence to young adulthood for either group. Births in young adulthood are linked to worse health than later births among both black and white women. Our results also indicate that marriage following a nonmarital adolescent or young adult first birth is associated with modestly worse self-assessed health compared to remaining unmarried.

Nonmarital Fertility, Union History, and Women's Wealth.

We use more than 20 years of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 to examine wealth trajectories among mothers following a nonmarital first birth. We compare wealth according to union type and union stability, and we distinguish partners by biological parentage of the firstborn child. Net of controls for education, race/ethnicity, and family background, single mothers who enter into stable marriages with either a biological father or stepfather experience significant wealth advantages over time (more than $2,500 per year) relative to those who marry and divorce, cohabit, or remain unpartnered. Sensitivity analyses adjusting for unequal selection into marriage support these findings and demonstrate that race (but not ethnicity) and age at first birth structure mothers' access to later marriage. We conclude that not all single mothers have equal access to marriage; however, marriage, union stability, and paternity have distinct roles for wealth accumulation following a nonmarital birth.

Race, gender, and chains of disadvantage: childhood adversity, social relationships, and health.

We use a life course approach to guide an investigation of relationships and health at the nexus of race and gender. We consider childhood as a sensitive period in the life course, during which significant adversity may launch chains of disadvantage in relationships throughout the life course that then have cumulative effects on health over time. Data from a nationally representative panel study (Americans' Changing Lives, N = 3,477) reveal substantial disparities between black and white adults, especially pronounced among men, in the quality of close relationships and in the consequences of these relationships for health. Greater childhood adversity helps to explain why black men have worse health than white men, and some of this effect appears to operate through childhood adversity's enduring influence on relationship strain in adulthood. Stress that occurs in adulthood plays a greater role than childhood adversity in explaining racial disparities in health among women.