Tag Archives: statistics

Beating the Odds

Divorce has a wide array of effects on children. They are certainly faced with more hardships than your average child in a two parent home and have had to overcome things in their young life that they never should have had to endure. It can be difficult at times and affects all children differently. We’ve all heard the typical stereotypes of children from these broken homes. They don’t do as well in school, they are more likely to have behavior problems, they may struggle with their future relationships, and they are more likely to end up in jail. As a … Continue reading →

The Trouble with Statistics

Sometimes statistics can be wrong, or at least misleading. That is, if we compare them to people we know. For example I read recently the ten important research findings from a national marriage project conducted by David Popenoe, Ph.D. The very first one says ‘Marrying as a teenager is the highest known risk factor for divorce.’ Maybe these days when children are at school longer and are not out in the work force as some of us, our parents or grandparents were early on, this would be the case. But if you look at a lot of people who have … Continue reading →

Can’t Afford Your Second (or more) Baby? Here is What Some Analysts Say

Here is just another thing that the economy affects: how many babies are born and maybe even why. Many people today are deciding to delay having another baby because of a tough economy. Some feel that they can’t afford another child. In fact, after each depression or recession in U.S. history, birth rates, that is fertility rates have gone down. Sometimes these new rates become the normal. Previous to the Great Depression, for example, the average number of children per woman was three. After the Great Depression, it dropped to two, a number that is usually more “acceptable” for families … Continue reading →

Absent Fathers and the Awful Statistics – Part One

If you are like me and have done any research at all on the internet about absent fathers, then you have found some pretty pathetic statistics. There are many researchers and organizations that have collected data on missing or absent fathers. According to the statistics compiled by the National Fatherhood Initiative: • Father Factor in Poverty – Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor. In 2002, 7.8 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 38.4 percent of children in female-householder families. • Father Factor in Maternal and Infant Health – … Continue reading →

A Frightening Statistic

The other day I read what is a frightening statistic. At least frightening for someone who is a poet in Australia, as I am. Goodreading magazine ran a readers’ poll which asked: Do you read poetry? 34% said not at all 22% rarely 32% occasionally 12% often It appears statistics in USA are vastly different to these, as a survey by The Poetry Foundation found out. I wonder how many of you read poetry and where you go to find it. Do you only read the works of poets like Donne, Shakespeare, Whitman, Frost, Dickinson, Plath etc or do you … Continue reading →

Statistics and Numbers DO Impress

Part of my work history and background includes a couple decades working in nonprofit fund development, management and public relations. During that time I did a fair amount of grant writing and writing to solicit donations and contributions, and one of the lessons I learned over and over again was that people really are impressed, and they really DO respond to statistics and numbers. Percentages, statistics, numbers, and factual comparisons really do have a place in your promotional materials and business literature. People want to know how many satisfied customers there are, or how many people prefer this brand to … Continue reading →

Marriage in the News: Taiwan Yearbook

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A new book, recently published by the Taiwanese government funded Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development has found that as much as 30 percent of women leave the job market after they get married. The Taiwan Women Yearbook – First Edition found that the number of Taiwanese women leaving the work force when they get married is commiserate with their level of education. Using official tallies the book offers that the ratio of women leaving their jobs after they get married is: 46% quit when they marry if they have only received the minimum nine year’s of education or … Continue reading →

Marriage in the News: Romance in France

So with all the concern about marriage in the United States, the interesting thing to me is a recent article I read about France. The city of Paris is considered one of the most romantic in the world and when you think about romance, you think of French wine, the French countryside and in some cases – French cuisine. In the past generation, marriage within the population has fallen more than 30 percent and in large part because more and more couples have chosen to live together, build families and homes without civil or religious approval. According to France’s National … Continue reading →

The Good News & The Bad News

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there is good news from the frontlines of the war on obesity. Personally, I dislike the term war on obesity – and battle of the bulge is just so much not better. Let’s just say that statistics indicate that the number of women considered obese has not risen since a 2000 survey. While women are still heavy or obese – there is stabilization of the number across the board. The bad news on the other hand is that the number of obese children rose from 14% to 17% and the number of … Continue reading →