The Relationship between Family, Marriage and Health (Research Paper Sample)

ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAMILY, MARRIAGE AND HEALTH
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
Research has shown that family set up, as well as the type of family one is in affect their health. According to (Kiecolt-Glaser and Newton, 2001) male headed households, revelled to have less financial stress. Robles and Kiecolt-Glaser, (2003) making use of a linear regression model on cross-sectional data taken in Italy household survey revealed that, married couples who leaved together showed higher level of stress thus poor health records. Also, Burman and Margolin, (1992) in a household survey in Nigeria making use of regression model revelled that married couples had more health complications due to stress. Wood et.al, (2009) assessed the factors that influence individual health status which was taken as a binary variable of whether one had health issues or not. The study was in US as variables considered included stress levels, relationship with family, age, and gender. Making use cross-sectional data from household surveys, the study revealed that families with better relation scale were less prone to health complications. People who are more aged were also seen to be prone to health complications. Stress was used to describe the marriage institution as research has shown that there is more build-up pressure in marriage (Artazcoz et.al, 2004). Different researchers have made use of cross-sectional data collected making use of questionnaires and interview. They have assessed for the effect of marriage, and family relations on health. The current analyses in sighted by the past research will assess the effect of family relations and marriage on health of individual.
Objective
The current study will be taken with a main objective of assessing the effect of family relation, and marriage on diagnosed health complications of individuals. To asses this,
Specific questions
1 Does family relations have an effect on total diagnosed health issues
2 Does gender have an effect on total diagnosed health issues
3 Does age have an effect on total diagnosed health issues
4 Does stress have an effect on total diagnosed health issues
To be able to answer to the questions, data manipulations on diagnosed diseases which measures ones health would be performed. A summated variable for all diagnosed diseases will be computed to get the diagnosed health conditions. Similarly, family relation score will be computed as it was collected as a likert data.
SECTION 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
The results as indicated on the on average out of the 838 respondents, age was about 49 years. In addition, the level of stress was about 19.44, and the total diagnosed health condition about 84%.
Table 1: descriptive statistics
The results indicated that there were more females than males in the study composing of 56% of the sample.
Table 2: distribution by gender
The results further indicated that on average respondents got together with family (3.76) and also talked to each other (2.68), besides they rely on help from the on average (3.1). However, they relay make demands (1.5), or criticise the family member (1.46).
Table 3: distribution by family relations
SECTION 3: HYPOTHESIS STATEMENTS
1 Family relations have no significant an effect on total diagnosed health issues
2 There is no significant difference in total diagnosed health issues between men and women
3 age has no significant effect on total diagnosed health issues
4 Stress level has no significant effect on total diagnosed health issues
SECTION 4: ANALYSIS
To address the hypothesis different analysis will be undertaken. To address the hypothesis correlation analysis was used to asses for associations.
Second a regression model following the form of
Y = β0 + β1fam + β1age + β1stress + β1gender + Ɛi will used.
Finally, t-tests following the model: t=βi- β0βi s.e will be used to determine the partial effect of the variables from the regression model.
To determine significance, the p-values of the tests were compared to 0.05 level of significance. P-values less than 0.05 indicated that the test was significant and thus the null hypothesis wold be rejected.
SECTION 5: RESULTS
Hypothesis 1: Family relations have no significant an effect on total diagnosed health issues
Correlation test is undertaken. The results indicate a correlation of -0.113, p-value= 0.001. Thus the results are significant and indicate that there is a significant negative weak association between family relations and health. To assess the effect regression analyses is used.
Table 4: correlation age*health
Regression model analysis, indicate the test for all hypothesis as indicated on table 8. To assess the individual partial effect of the variables, a t-test is undertaken which follows the model t=βi- β0βi s.e. Thus we divide the coefficient form the regression model with the standard error. The associate p-value is compared with 0.05 to assess for significance. The results indicate on table 8 a p-value = 0.394 and thus the results are not statistically significant. Thus we fail to reject the null hypothesis since the test is not significant.
Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference in total diagnosed health issues between men and women
Independent t-tests is used to assess difference in the groups. The results with a t-value = 1.145, and p-value = 0.253 indicate that there is no significant difference in the level of total diagnosed health complications between men and women
Table 5: t-test of age and health
The results following a regression on table 8, and t-test for partial effect indicate a p-value = 0.098. Thus the results are not significant, hence we say that there is no significant effect of gender on health, and health compilations between men and women is the same.
Table 6: correlation of age and health
Hypothesis 3: age has no significant effect on total diagnosed health issues
Regression analysis and individual t-test for partial effect test is used to assess the relation. The result