The impact of disability on partnership formation in Sweden during 1990-2009

Abstract

Evidence suggests that disability negatively affects people's propensity to find a partner. Persons with disabilities that eventually find a partner do so later in life compared to the average population. There is a lack of studies on the differences in partnership opportunities for persons with disabilities compared to those without disabilities in Sweden. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of disability on partnership formation and to assess whether partnership formation varies as a function of individual demographic and socioeconomic factors. We use nationwide data available in the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in Social and Medical Sciences (Umeå SIMSAM Lab). We follow persons born from 1973 to 1977 when they were from 16 to 37 years of age and analyze their data using logistic regression. Our findings indicate that regardless of whether a person started to receive a disability pension at an early age or later, it was associated with lower odds for partnership formation. For persons who started receiving disability pension from 16 to 20 years of age, chances for partnership formation reduced with increase in age of partnership. Individuals that started to receive disability pension later were more likely to form partnership prior to receiving disability pension. Partnership formation was less likely among persons born outside Sweden, in persons with mothers born outside Sweden, in individuals born by unmarried mothers and in persons, whose mothers had a high level of education. Partnership was high among women and among persons who had many maternal siblings. In conclusion, receiving disability pension was associated with reduced chances for partnership formation. Receiving disability pension might imply financial constraints that negatively influence partnership formation supporting Oppenheimer's theory on the economic cost of marriage and the uncertainty hypothesis.

The complicated relationship between parental status and disability: A register study of the 1968 to 1970 birth cohorts

“…The theory of assortative mating suggests that assortative mating on disability status limits the partnership market of people with disabilities [11][12] . Our data shows that disability is associated with low levels of partnership and high levels of single living [13][14] .…”

Introduction: disability, partnership, and family across time and space

“…Fredinah Namatovu and co-authors' study (Namatovu et al, 2020, this issue) moves to Sweden, presenting results that differ substantially from the patriarchal society of Malaysia. Yet there are similarities regarding the effects of disability on partnership.…”

The relationship between disability and parental status: a register study of the 1968 to 1970 birth cohorts

“…Due to assortative mating on disability, people without disabilities might prefer to choose partners that do not have disabilities. Disability researchers have used the theory of assortative mating to explain why disability is linked to reduced chances of marriage and cohabitation [15][16][17][18]. Disability that occurs during early adulthood could contribute to assortative mating, creates economic constraints, makes it difficult for one to have a steady income, live independently and have a partner, which results in the postponement of parenthood or even childlessness.…”

“…Current literature suggests that people with disabilities report limited economic opportunities and high poverty rates [8,19]. Several studies also indicate that disability is associated with low levels of partnership and high levels of single living [17,18,[20][21][22]. People with disabilities also report negative societal attitudes characterised by infantilisation and being treated as asexual [22][23][24].…”