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Guo HJ, Ye YL, Gao YF, Liu ZH. Age at first birth is associated with the likelihood of frailty in middle-aged and older women: A population-based analysis from NHANES 1999-2018. Maturitas 2024; 181:107904. [PMID: 38157686 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study examined whether age at first birth (AFB) is associated with the prevalence of frailty in middle-aged and older women. METHODS The study included 10,828 women (age ≥ 45 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (1999-2018) in the United States. AFB data were collected using a standardized reproductive health questionnaire. Frailty was measured using a 53-item frailty index and was diagnosed if the score on that index was over 0.21. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were used to assess the association between AFB and the prevalence of frailty. A survey-weighted restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was used to determine the dose-response relationship between AFB and frailty. Mediation analyses were performed to estimate the mediated effects of education levels, family poverty income ratio, and parity on the association between AFB and the likelihood of frailty. Finally, sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of our findings. RESULTS Among the 10,828 women, 3828 (35.4 %) had frailty. The RCS depicted a U-shaped association between AFB and frailty. Compared with the women in the reference group (AFB: 33-35 years), women in the other groups (AFB: < 18, 18-20, 21-23, and 24-26 years) had a higher likelihood of frailty, with respective odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) of 3.02 (1.89-4.83), 2.32 (1.54-3.50), 1.83 (1.19-2.81), and 1.64 (1.07-2.53). However, no statistically significant differences were detected for women with AFB of 27-29, 30-32, or > 35 years compared with the reference group. Education levels, family poverty income ratio, and parity significantly mediated the approximately linear negative association between AFB and frailty in the subset of women with AFB of ≤32 years and the mediation proportions were 23.4 %, 32.4 %, and 18.3 %, respectively (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Based on our results, we conclude that early AFB is associated with a higher likelihood of frailty in middle-aged and older women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Jie Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Public Health, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511400, China
| | - Yi-Lu Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510700, China
| | - Yun-Fei Gao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zengcheng Branch of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511300, China.
| | - Zhi-Hua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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Arpino B, Gumà J, Julià A. Non-standard family histories and wellbeing at older ages. Soc Sci Med 2023; 338:116350. [PMID: 37939540 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The life course approach emphasizes that health and wellbeing at older ages are influenced by experiences occurred in the previous stages of life. We contribute to the literature by focusing on the role of the non-standardness of family histories and argue that individuals who experienced non-standard trajectories have been exposed to social sanctions throughout their life course with negative long-term consequences on wellbeing. In our study, non-standardness of family histories is the extent an individual's family history differs from those of the others within reference groups, defined combining birth cohort, gender and country of residence. Family histories between age of 15 and 49 are analyzed using Sequence Analysis, thus accounting for events related to fertility and union formation (marriage and cohabitation) and dissolution, and their timing. Dissimilarities between family sequences are measured using optimal matching and are standardized within the reference groups. We use retrospective data from the seventh wave of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and estimate linear regression models to assess the association between non-standardness of family histories and older people's life satisfaction. Quality of life and depressive symptoms are examined in additional analyses. A negative association is found between non-standardness of family histories and wellbeing, which is stronger for lower educated individuals and in Southern European countries. Results are consistent with the idea that uncommon family behaviors may have a long-term negative effect on wellbeing. Individual resources and a more tolerant societal context can reduce or eliminate the negative consequences of engaging in non-standard family behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Arpino
- Pompeu Fabra University, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, 08005, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jordi Gumà
- Pompeu Fabra University, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27, 08005, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Albert Julià
- University of Barcelona, Department of Sociology, Avinguda Diagonal 690-696, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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Antczak R, Quashie NT, Mair CA, Arpino B. Less Is (Often) More: Number of Children and Health Among Older Adults in 24 Countries. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:1892-1902. [PMID: 37622727 PMCID: PMC10645313 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Previous evidence about the impact of parenthood on health for older adults is mixed, perhaps due to variation in number of children and context. Higher numbers of children could lead to support or strain, depending on individual and country contexts. Yet, no studies currently exist that examine associations between the number of children and several health indicators among older adults across multiple global regions. METHODS We analyze cross-sectional data (1992-2017) of 166,739 adults aged 50+ across 24 countries from the Health and Retirement Study family of surveys to document associations between the number of children, treated as a categorical variable, and 5 health outcomes (self-rated health, activities of daily living limitations, instrumental activities of daily living limitations, chronic conditions, and depression). We perform multivariable analyses by estimating logistic regression models for each country and each outcome. RESULTS Multiple comparisons between categories of number of children revealed at least 1 significant difference in each country, and a majority of significant differences indicated those with more children had poorer health. The risk of poorer health for parents of multiple children was observed in 15 countries, but in some countries, fewer children predict poorer health. The greatest number of differences was identified for depression and chronic conditions, and very few for functional limitations. DISCUSSION We observe a greater probability that more children are associated with poorer health in later life, especially for chronic conditions and depression. However, a universal global or regional pattern could not be identified. These findings raise new questions about how country contexts shape fertility and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radoslaw Antczak
- Institute of Statistics and Demography, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Nekehia T Quashie
- Department of Health Studies, College of Health Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Christine A Mair
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bruno Arpino
- Department of Statistical Science and Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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O'Flaherty M, Kalucza S, Bon J. Does Anyone Suffer From Teenage Motherhood? Mental Health Effects of Teen Motherhood in Great Britain Are Small and Homogeneous. Demography 2023; 60:707-729. [PMID: 37226980 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10788364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Teen mothers experience disadvantage across a wide range of outcomes. However, previous research is equivocal with respect to possible long-term mental health consequences of teen motherhood and has not adequately considered the possibility that effects on mental health may be heterogeneous. Drawing on data from the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study, this article applies a novel statistical machine-learning approach-Bayesian Additive Regression Trees-to estimate the effects of teen motherhood on mental health outcomes at ages 30, 34, and 42. We extend previous work by estimating not only sample-average effects but also individual-specific estimates. Our results show that sample-average mental health effects of teen motherhood are substantively small at all time points, apart from age 30 comparisons to women who first became mothers at age 25‒30. Moreover, we find that these effects are largely homogeneous for all women in the sample-indicating that there are no subgroups in the data who experience important detrimental mental health consequences. We conclude that there are likely no mental health benefits to policy and interventions that aim to prevent teen motherhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin O'Flaherty
- Institute for Social Science Research and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sara Kalucza
- Department of Sociology and Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research (CEDAR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joshua Bon
- School of Mathematical Sciences and Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Christiansen SG, Kravdal Ø. Number of children and disability pension due to mental and musculoskeletal disorders: A longitudinal register-based study in Norway. POPULATION STUDIES 2023:1-12. [PMID: 37191160 DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2023.2195847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Earlier research has documented a relationship between parity and all-cause mortality, as well as parity and cause-specific mortality (e.g. cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality). Less is known about the relationship between parity and two very common (but less deadly) types of disorder: mental and musculoskeletal. We examine the association between parity and risk of disability pensioning from all causes and due to mental or musculoskeletal disorders, using Norwegian register data. In addition to controlling for adult socio-demographic characteristics, we control for unobserved confounding from family background by estimating sibling fixed-effects models. We find a higher risk of disability pensioning among the childless and those with one child than for parents with two children, both for all causes combined and for mental disorders. Childless men and fathers with one child also experience excess risk of being pensioned due to musculoskeletal disorders. For mental disorders, we find a positive association with high parity, particularly for men.
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Stannard S, Berrington A, Alwan NA. Exploring the associations between number of children, multi-partner fertility and risk of obesity at midlife: Findings from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282795. [PMID: 37053250 PMCID: PMC10101483 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early parenthood, high parity, and partnership separation are associated with obesity. However, the emergence of non-marital partnerships, serial partnering and childbearing across unions, means that it is important to consider their association to obesity. This paper examined the associations between number of biological children and multi-partner fertility (MPF)-defined as having biological children with more than one partner, with obesity at midlife. METHOD The sample consisted of 2940 fathers and 3369 mothers in the 1970 British Cohort Study. The outcome was obesity (BMI 30 or over) at age 46. Fertility and partnership histories ascertained the number of live biological children and MPF status by age 42. The associations were tested using logistic regression adjusting for confounders at birth, age 10 and age 16. Adult factors recorded at age 42 including age at first birth, smoking status, alcohol dependency, educational attainment and housing tenure were considered as mediators. RESULTS For fathers, obesity odds did not differ according to number of children or MPF. In unadjusted models, mothers with one child (OR 1.24 95%CI 1.01-1.51), mothers who had two children with two partners (OR 1.45 95%CI 1.05-1.99), and mothers who had three or more children with two or more partners (OR 1.51 95%CI 1.18-1.93) had higher odds of obesity. In adjusted models, there remained an association between mothers with one child and odds of obesity (OR 1.30 95%CI 1.05-1.60). All other associations were attenuated when confounders were included. CONCLUSIONS Mothers who had children with multiple partners had higher odds of obesity. However this association was completely attenuated when parental and child confounders were accounted for; suggesting that this association may be explained by confounding. Mothers who had one child only may be at increased odds of obesity, however this could be due to multiple factors including age at first birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Stannard
- Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ann Berrington
- Department of Social Statistics and Demography, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Nisreen A Alwan
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Uccheddu D, Emery T, Gauthier AH, Steverink N. Gendered work-family life courses and late-life physical functioning: A comparative analysis from 28 European countries. ADVANCES IN LIFE COURSE RESEARCH 2022; 53:100495. [PMID: 36652213 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcr.2022.100495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Combining work and family roles can have beneficial consequences on health but could also result in chronic stress and adverse health outcomes at older ages. This study aimed to examine combined employment, parenthood, and partnership histories of men and women during the childbearing period (ages 15-49), and to investigate the links of these work and family roles with physical functioning later in life. We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) with retrospective information on employment, parenthood, and partnership histories for 18,057 men and 20,072 women (n = 38,129) living in 28 different countries belonging to six European welfare clusters. We applied multichannel sequence analysis (MCSQA) and hierarchical clustering to group work-family trajectories into 12 clusters for men and 15 clusters for women. We assessed the association between work-family life courses and grip strength by estimating multivariable linear regression models. Delayed work and family transitions, unstable employment, and the absence of combinations of work and family roles between age 15 and 49 were associated with weaker grip strength in later life for both men and women. Results differed by gender and were framed by the welfare context in which gendered work and family responsibilities unfold across individual life courses. The findings make an important contribution to the domain of gender and health in later life and stress the need to engage more with issues related to the mechanisms linking work and family trajectories to poor health in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Uccheddu
- University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), The Hague, the Netherlands; Department of Sociology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Tom Emery
- Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS), Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anne H Gauthier
- Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), The Hague, the Netherlands; Department of Sociology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Nardi Steverink
- Department of Sociology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Health Psychology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Barral S, Andersen SL, Perls TT, Bae H, Sebastiani P, Christensen K, Thyagarajan B, Lee J, Schupf N. Association between late maternal age and age-related endophenotypes in the Long Life Family Study. Neurosci Lett 2022; 784:136737. [PMID: 35709880 PMCID: PMC11061875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Extended maternal age has been suggested as marker of delayed age-associated disabilities. We use the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) offspring generation to investigate the association between extended maternal age at last childbirth and healthy-aging endophenotypes. We hypothesize that women with extended maternal age at last childbirth will exhibit healthier endophenotype profiles compared to younger mothers. The association between maternal age and age-related endophenotypes previously derived in LLFS was assessed using Generalized Estimating Equations to adjust for relatedness. The quartiles of the maternal age at last childbirth were modeled as the independent variables. Univariate analyses tested the association between maternal age at last childbirth and age at clinical assessment, education, field center, Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, depression, stress, smoking and successful pregnancies. Only the variables significantly associated in the univariate analyses were considered in secondary multivariate analyses. Univariate analyses showed that compared to older mothers (age at last birth ≥35), mothers 30 years old or younger at last childbirth are less educated (12 ± 3 years versus 13 ± 3 years) and have a higher frequency of smoking (9% versus 3% for maternal age ≥35). Results showed that older mothers (age at last birth ≥31-34 or ≥ 35) demonstrated significantly better cognitive profiles (p = 0.017 and p = 0.021 respectively) compared with mothers with last childbirth age ≤30. Later maternal age among women from long-life families is associated with a better cognitive profile, supporting the hypothesis that later age at childbirth may be a marker for healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Barral
- The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; The Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Stacy L Andersen
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas T Perls
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Harold Bae
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Paola Sebastiani
- Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaare Christensen
- University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Odense, Denmark
| | - Bharat Thyagarajan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph Lee
- The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; The Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicole Schupf
- The Taub Institute for Research in Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; The Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; The Department of Epidemiology, Joseph P. Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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The Role of Fertility and Partnership History in Later-life Cognition. AGEING INTERNATIONAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12126-022-09500-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCognitive ageing continues to be a significant burden for society and a primary contributor to individuals’ diminishing independence and quality of life. Therefore, improving our understanding of life-course influences on cognitive function is a necessity for public health. Parenthood and marriage are two such influences that may affect cognition in old age. Using the Health and Retirement Study, the relationship between family histories and cognitive functioning in adults in the ‘older’ age group in the United States is investigated through a sequence-analysis approach. The results show that most of the relationship between fertility and partnership history and cognition later in life is explained by childhood health and socioeconomic conditions, and current sociodemographic characteristics. However, those individuals who have never been married, and in particular those who have never been married and have had no children, report a significantly lower level of cognitive functioning in older age, especially women.
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Jones LE, Wang G, Yilmazer T. The long-term effect of the Earned Income Tax Credit on women's physical and mental health. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2022; 31:1067-1102. [PMID: 35318768 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Using a novel method, and data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), we estimate the cumulative, long-term, causal effect of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) eligibility on women's physical and mental health at age 50. We find that an increase in lifetime eligible EITC benefits is associated with long-term improvements in physical health, such as reduced occurrence of activity-limiting health problems and reduced reported diagnoses of mild and severe diseases. We explore intermediate health behaviors and outcomes, and find that an increase in lifetime eligible EITC benefits increases the number of hours worked and access to employer-sponsored health insurance, and decreases body mass index in the short-term. We find no significant effects of the EITC on mental health at age 50. Finally, we find that White women benefit disproportionately from the EITC in terms of mobility-related health issues, while Black and Hispanic women benefit in terms of lung-related illnesses like asthma, as well as cancer and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Jones
- Department of Human Sciences and John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Guangyi Wang
- Social Policies for Health Equity Research Program (SPHERE), Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tansel Yilmazer
- Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Becker L, Negash S, Kartschmit N, Kluttig A, Mikolajczyk R. Association between Parenthood and Health Behaviour in Later Life-Results from the Population-Based CARLA Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:82. [PMID: 35010340 PMCID: PMC8751226 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has focused on comparing health behaviour between parents and non-parents at younger ages, while little is known about the impact of being a parent on health behaviours in later life. We studied whether parenthood is associated with later physical activity (PA), dietary pattern, smoking status and alcohol consumption in German adults of middle and old age. We used data from the baseline examination of the population-based CARLA-study in Halle (Saale), comprising 1779 adults aged 45-83. Linear and logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between parenthood and health behaviours while controlling for age, partner status, education, income, occupational position, socioeconomic status in childhood, and number of chronic diseases. Of the participants, 89.1% had biological children. Being a father was associated with higher PA in sports (sport index ß = 0.29, 95% confidence interval [0.14; 0.44]), but not with PA in leisure time (excluding sports), dietary pattern, consumption of alcohol and smoking status. No associations were found between being a mother with all outcome variables. Provided that PA of fathers is typically reduced when the children are young, the development towards higher PA at later age needs to be studied in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rafael Mikolajczyk
- Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06112 Halle, Germany; (L.B.); (S.N.); (N.K.); (A.K.)
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12
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van den Broek T. Early-Life Circumstances, Health Behavior Profiles, and Later-Life Health in Great Britain. J Aging Health 2020; 33:317-330. [PMID: 33345690 PMCID: PMC8120632 DOI: 10.1177/0898264320981233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Drawing on UK Household Longitudinal Study data, this study assessed a pathway from early-life disadvantage to suboptimal later-life health via health behavior. Methods: Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct smoking, nutrition, alcohol, and physical activity health behavior profiles. Mediation analyses were performed to assess indirect effects of early-life disadvantage via health behavior on allostatic load, an objective measure of physiological wear and tear. Results: Four health behavior profiles were identified: (1) broadly healthy and high alcohol consumption, (2) low smoking and alcohol consumption, healthy nutrition, and physically inactive, (3) broadly unhealthy and low alcohol consumption, and (4) broadly moderately unhealthy and high alcohol consumption. Having grown up in a higher socioeconomic position family was associated with lower later-life allostatic load. This was partly attributable to health behavioral differences. Discussion: Growing up under disadvantageous socioeconomic circumstances may initiate a chain of risk by predisposing people to health behavior profiles associated with poorer later-life health.
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