4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 1999  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/06/1999   
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Contents >> Family >> Definitions and references

Definitions and references

Average family size - the total number of family members divided by the number of families.

    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Birth - the delivery of a child irrespective of the duration of pregnancy who, after being born, breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as a heart beat.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).

Births outside marriage - births where the father was not registered as married to the mother at the time of the birth, whether or not the parents were living together at the time of the birth, and whether or not the child may subsequently have been legitimated or adopted.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).

Births outside marriage acknowledged by father - births outside registered marriage where the father's name is recorded on the birth certificate.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).

Child under 15 - a related or unrelated person under 15 years of age who forms a parent-child relationship with one person over 15 years of age resident in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Couple family - a family based on two persons who are in a registered or de facto marriage and who are usually resident in the same household. The family may include any number of dependents, non-dependants and other related individuals. It is not necessary for a parent-child relationship to be formed, thus a couple family can consist of a couple without children present in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Couple-only family - a couple family with no dependent children or other family members (e.g. non-dependant children) present.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Crude divorce rate - the number of divorces granted in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).

Crude marriage rate - the number of marriages registered in the calendar year per 1,000 of the estimated resident population at 30 June of that year.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).

De facto marriage - the relationship between two people who live together in a consensual union who are not registered as married to each other.
    Reference: 1996 Census of Population and Housing.

Divorces involving children - divorces of couples with unmarried children of the registered marriage who were under 18 at the time of application for divorce. Under the Family Law Act 1975, adopted and ex-nuptial children and children from a former registered marriage may be included (in certain cases). Children who are registered as married or aged 18 or more are not subject to custody and guardianship orders and are excluded.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).

Employed - persons aged 15 and over who either worked during the reference week for pay, profit, commission, payment in kind or without pay in a family business, or who had a job but were not at work.
    Reference: Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6203.0).

Estimated Resident Population - quarterly estimates of the Australian population are obtained by adding to the estimated population at the beginning of each period the components of natural increase (on a usual residence basis) and net overseas migration. For the States and Territories, account is also taken of estimated interstate movements involving a change of usual residence.
    Reference: Australian Demographic Statistics (cat. no. 3101.0).

Family - two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering; and who are usually resident in the same household. The basis of a family is formed by identifying the presence of a couple relationship, lone parent-child relationship or other blood relationship. Some households will, therefore, contain more than one family.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Formal child care - regulated care, away from the child's home during the previous week. Includes preschool; before and after school care program; long-day care centre; family day care; occasional care and other formal care.
    Reference: Child Care, Australia (Cat no. 4402.0)

Household - a group of two or more related or unrelated people who usually reside in the same dwelling, who regard themselves as a household and who make common provision for food or other essentials for living; or a person living in a dwelling who makes provision for his or her own food and other essentials for living, without combining with any other person.
    Reference: Household Estimates, Australia (cat. no. 3229.0).

Informal child care - non-regulated care either in the child's home or elsewhere, in the previous week. It includes care by (step) brothers or sisters; care by relatives (including non-custodial parents) and by non-relatives such as friends, neighbours or baby sitters. It may have been paid or unpaid.
    Reference: Child Care, Australia (cat. no. 4402.0).

Lone parent - a person who has no spouse or partner - present in the household but who forms a parent-child relationship with at least one dependent or non-dependant child usually resident in the household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Median - the value at which half the population falls above and half falls below.

Median age of mothers at first birth - actually the median age of mothers at first confinement. A confinement is a pregnancy which results in at least one live birth: multiple births (e.g. twins) may be involved.
    Reference: Australia's Mothers and Babies (1996) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Median duration of marriage to separation - the median interval between the date of registered marriage and the date of separation.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).

One-parent family - a family consisting of a lone parent with at least one dependent or non-dependant child (regardless of age) who is also usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependent children, non-dependant children and other related individuals.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Persons who live alone - persons who are the only member of a household.
    Reference: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Australia (cat. no. 6224.0).

Registered marriages - refers to formally registered marriages for which the partners hold a certificate.
    Reference: Marriages and Divorces, Australia (cat. no. 3310.0).

Total fertility rate - the average number of children a woman would bear during her lifetime if she conformed to the current age-specific fertility rates.
    Reference: Births, Australia (cat. no. 3301.0).

Women giving birth for the first time - Multiple births (e.g. twins or triplets) may be involved at the time of first birth.
    Reference: Australia's Mothers and Babies (1996) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.




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