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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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The long-term consequences of childbearing
— physical and psychological well-being of mothers in later life | | Author(s) | Naomi J Spence |
| Journal title | Research on Aging, vol 30, no 6, November 2008 |
| Pages | pp 722-751 |
| Keywords | Mother ; Physical disabilities ; Depression ; Economic status [elderly] ; Longitudinal surveys ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Growing evidence points to relationships between patterns of childbearing and health outcomes for mothers, yet a need remains to clarify these relationships over the long term and to understand the underlying mechanisms. Using data for 1608 participants from the US National Longitudinal Study of Mature Women (NLS-MW), the authors found that the long-term consequences of childbearing vary by health outcome. Early childbearing is associated with higher risk of activities of daily living limitation at age 65 to 83, though effect appears stronger among White than Black mothers until socioeconomic status (SES) is controlled. Early childbearing is also associated with greater levels of depressive symptomatology, though this association is mediated by SES and health. Late childbearing is associated with more depressive symptoms net of early life and current SES, child proximity and support, and physical health. Finally, no significant effects of high parity are found. These findings emphasise the need to better understand the mechanisms linking childbearing histories to later physical and psychological well-being. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-081104209 A |
| Classmark | SRM: BN: ENR: F:W: 3J: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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