My research is broadly concerned with the important and yet complex roles that marriage, family, and gender play in shaping health and well-being in low- and middle-income settings. Though most of my research focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, I am starting to explore some of these subjects in other contexts.
My research revolves around the following three questions:
- How is the institution of marriage changing as SSA undergoes rapid socioeconomic and demographic transformations?
- What impact does men’s labor migration have on the health and well-being of wives’ left-behind in sending communities?
- To what extent does family instability influence the well-being of children and adolescents?
For a list of my publications, see my CV or Google Scholar page.
Below are my current research projects:
Chae, Sophia and Victor Agadjanian. “Polygyny and fertility: Continuity or change in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Chae, Sophia and Victor Agadjanian. “The changing nature of polygynous unions in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for women’s empowerment and marital egalitarianism.”
Chae, Sophia, Jessie Pinchoff, and Mark R. Montgomery. “Adolescent migration, schooling, and work in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Chae, Sophia, Hans-Peter Kohler, and Iliana V. Kohler. “Intergenerational impact of aging on children’s well-being.”
Sanchez Paez, David, Sophia Chae, and Bruno Schoumaker. “HIV and fertility in sub-Saharan Africa: Are adolescents different?”
Chae, Sophia, Victor Agadjanian, Sarah R. Hayford, Jennifer E. Glick, and Nathalie Eggum. “Men’s migration, social support, and women’s health and well-being in Mozambique and Nepal.”
Chae, Sophia and Philip Anglewicz. “Marriage and health in rural Malawi.”
Sophia Chae 