In developing countries, where there are limited resources and social support, children rely
primarily on their family for their well-being. Their lives are affected by the configuration of
household members, by the type of family structure, and by household decision processes that
determine the resources that are allocated for their well-being. This dissertation examines
the influence of family structure on the outcomes of children’s well-being, using the case of
Cambodia, where between 2000 and 2010 the children composed more than a third of the
population.
To assess the link between family structure and the well-being of children in Cambodia,
this dissertation uses multilevel modeling. It examines three aspects of well-being. The first
is the amount of time invested on children. The second examines the nutritional status of
children. The third is the risk of infant mortality. In this investigation I focus on two forms
of family structure: nuclear and multigenerational. For our purposes, a multi-generational
household is one containing one or more grandparents.
To consider the investment of time, I take advantage of time-use data collected by the
Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey and assess time spent on childcare individually and collectively
by members of the household. My analysis reveals that children in multigenerational
households receive more childcare time than those in nuclear households. Moreover, the additional
care time these children receive is due to the presence of grandparents. Grandparents
supplement maternal care time.
To assess the nutritional status of children in Cambodia, I use three waves of the Cambodia
Demographic and Health Survey from 2000, 2005 and 2010. My findings reveal that
children in multigenerational households have better nutritional outcomes than children in
nuclear households. The gains of children in multigenerational households increased over the
decade. This finding suggests that even though national economic development improves the
overall health status of children, those coresiding with grandparents are the most advantaged.
To detect possible influences of family structure on infant and child mortality, I explore
whether or not the health advantage of children in multigenerational households extends to
a survival advantage. Findings reveal that even in the earliest stages of life, the presence of
grandparents safeguard infant survival more than the presence of a father in the household.