Teenage birth rates at historic low
In a culture replete with dismal statistics, one positive report is that the number of teenage mothers is at a record low, continuing a 14-year downward trend.
Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the nonprofit Child Trends research center reported in June that the 2005 birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 was 40.4 births for every 1,000 female teens, which is 35 percent lower than the peak of 61.8 percent in 1991.
Though birth rates varied across racial and ethnic groups, numbers were down across the board, Child Trends said. For white teen females, 26 out of every 1,000 gave birth in 2005. The same year, the birth rate for non-Hispanic black teen females was 60.9, and for Hispanics it was 81.5.
“The trend lines on teen births are generally moving in the right direction, and we should pause and savor that fact,” Jennifer Manlove, who helped prepare the report, said in a news release. “But it is far too early to declare this problem solved, since the U.S. teen birth rate is still higher than that of any other developed nation.”
Data from the report also shows that 83 percent of teen births are to unwed mothers. Jimmy Hester, co-founder of True Love Waits, emphasized the need for abstinence movements to keep showing teenage girls the path toward a healthier future.
“Despite the progress made over the past decade, much work remains to be done,” he said. “The United States still has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and out-of-wedlock births in the industrialized world, resulting in severe economic and social costs, not to mention the personal pain early sexual activity places upon teenagers and their families.”
Americans prefer smaller families
Americans seem to believe the ideal size for a family these days is 2.5 children, and those views are influenced by religious preference and church attendance, Gallup News Service said.
When Gallup first starting tracking such views in 1936, most Americans preferred a large family of three or more children. But that began to change around 1970 with the push for individualism, and in 1973 Americans were divided over whether smaller or larger families were better. By 1986, Gallup said, 66 percent of Americans favored smaller families.
Since 1997, researchers have found, just over half of Americans (between 50-56 percent) prefer a smaller family of two children or fewer.
Data gleaned from telephone interviews conducted by Gallup in June indicates that 47 percent of Americans who attend church on a weekly basis say two children or fewer is ideal while 41 percent say three or more is ideal. Among those with no religious affiliation, Gallup said, 70 percent prefer two children or fewer and 21 percent prefer three or more.
Children less central to marriage
The percentage of Americans who consider children “very important” to a successful marriage has dropped sharply in the past 15 years, according to Pew Research Center. By a margin of nearly 3 to 1, Americans say the main purpose of marriage is the “mutual happiness and fulfillment” of adults rather than the “bearing and raising of children.”
A 1990 survey found that 65 percent of Americans believed children were very important to a good marriage, but today the number is 41 percent, Pew said. Children have fallen to eighth out of nine on a list of factors associated with a good marriage, including “sharing household chores,” “good housing,” “adequate income,” “a happy sexual relationship” and “faithfulness.”
Virginia Rutter, a sociology professor at Framingham State College in Massachusetts, told the Associated Press that the changing values may be related to the nation’s lack of family friendly workplace policies.
“If we value families … we need to change the circumstances they live in,” Rutter said, citing the challenges faced by young, two-earner couples as they consider raising children.
Mandisa debuts book & CD
Mandisa Hundley, the “American Idol” contestant who didn’t hesitate to express her Christian beliefs, has written a book and recorded a CD aimed at promoting a message of confidence for women who struggle with the world’s expectations.
Her book, “IDOLeyes,” tells about her challenges and victories through growing up and breaking into the music industry.
“My struggle with my weight has been the biggest struggle of my life,” Mandisa (who uses solely her first name) said. “Rather than turning to alcohol or drugs when I was going through emotional times, I turned to food. As a result, I’ve become unhealthy – and it’s a day-to-day process to overcome.”
Mandisa’s debut CD, “True Beauty,” “exemplifies the desire of women to be known and respected for who they are within. Singing from personal experience, it is a biblical message that all women in today’s modern world need to hear and believe,” according to reviewer Kelly Jad’on of blogcritics.org.
After college, Mandisa became a telephone sales representative at LifeWay Christian Resources and later worked for LifeWay’s women’s enrichment events before joining Bible teacher Beth Moore’s worship team as a singer for Living Proof Live conferences.