The document examines factors that contribute to high divorce rates in the Bible Belt region of the southern United States. It finds that divorce rates in Bible Belt states like Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas are around 50% higher than the national average. A correlation analysis found that higher poverty rates, younger ages of marriage for males and females, and higher percentages of evangelical Protestants in a state's population were all associated with higher divorce rates in these states. More education and older ages of marriage correlated with lower divorce rates.

1. Divorce in the Bible Belt What factors contribute to high divorce rates in southern states? Hannah Gentry

2. Questions What factors cause Bible Belt states to have such high divorce rates? How do divorce rates in the Bible Belt compare to other states in the U.S.? What can be done to lower divorce rates?

3. Divorce in the U.S. The probability of a marriage ending in the first 5 years is 20% (CDC, 2002) After 10 years, the probability of divorce jumps to 33% (CDC, 2002) The national divorce rate in 2000 was 4.0

4. The Bible Belt The Bible Belt is “the southern states of the United States of America, where the mainstream of Christianity is characteristically fundamentalist, stressing literalism and inerrancy of the Bible” (Oxford Dictionary of World Religions)

5. The Bible Belt Divorce in the Bible Belt is roughly 50 percent above the national average (NCPA, 1999) Oklahoma has the highest divorce rate, yet 75% of couples are married in churches 70% of Oklahoma’s population attends church once a week or more In 2000, the national divorce rate was 4.0 divorces for every 1,000 people, while Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas average 6.4 divorces per 1,000 people

6. Why is this important? Divorce is sited as the principal cause of poverty in Oklahoma (Harding, 2001) For every 3 divorces, 1 family ends up below the poverty line and will remain there for at least 8 months (Harden, 2001) Occasionally one or both spouses will receive government assistance (Chuck, 2008) Spatial and religious factors have not been thoroughly examined

7. Study Area North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kentucky

8. Independent Variables Education: percent of state population with a bachelors degree or higher Age at Time of Marriage: Males and Females Poverty Rate Religion: percent of a state population that is evangelical protestant

9. Sources of Data U.S. Census Bureau: age at marriage, education, poverty rate Association of Religious Data Archives: evangelical protestants Center for Disease Control and Prevention: divorce rate

10. Education

11. Age at Marriage: Male

12. Age at Marriage: Female

13. Poverty

14. Religion

15. Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient **correlation significant at .01 the level *correlation significant at the .05 level Independent Variable Spearman’s Correlation poverty rate 0.366* age at marriage: male -0.598** age at marriage: female -0.646** % evangelical 0.356* % BA degree or higher -0.527**

16. Data Limitations Most recent data is from 2000 Oklahoma and Louisiana divorce rates are unavailable for 2000 Evangelical protestants based on church adherents Education is not specific enough

17. Future Directions Data at county level State case studies More in depth on education More accurate data on religious affiliation