Life Outcomes of Childless Men and Fathers

Abstract

Using data from the first wave of the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (NKPS) for 1,451 men aged 40-59 we examine the impact of permanent childlessness. We extend on previous work by focusing on partnership history as a possible explanation for differences between childless men and fathers. Our results show that the impact of childlessness is weaker than we had expected. Many initial differences between childless men and fathers are attributable to differences in their partnership history. Nevertheless, childless men differ from resident fathers regarding their community involvement, their level of income and their satisfaction with life. Childless men differ from nonresident fathers with respect to their income and work hours. Theoretical and societal implications of our findings are discussed.

The pains and pleasures of parenting: When, why, and how is parenthood associated with more or less well-being?

“…For men, for example, firstborn sons (but not daughters) were associated with relatively more happiness (although subsequent children had no effect; Kohler, Behrman, & Skytthe, 2005). More recent research is consistent with these findings for men, suggesting that fathers with children in the home report higher life satisfaction than childless men and nonresident fathers (Keizer et al, 2010). A recent study also revealed parenthood to be more consistently linked to well-being among men than women: Fathers reported experiencing greater life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect, and meaning and less depression than did childless men, but mothers only reported less depression (Nelson et al, 2013).…”

De gezonde levensloop : Een geschenk van vele generaties

“…De literatuur toont dat het krijgen van kinderen mannen 'transformeert ' (Eggebeen & Knoester, 2001). Het krijgen van kinderen betekent het krijgen van verantwoordelijkheden en verplichtingen: als vader behoor je je op een juiste manier te gedragen en het goede voorbeeld te geven aan je kinderen Eggebeen & Knoester, 2001;Keizer, Dykstra & Poortman, 2009;Kendig et al, 2007;Knoester & Eggebeen, 2006). Dit leidt er vaak toe dat het hebben van kinderen ouders ervan weerhoudt om zich te gedragen op manieren die schadelijk zijn voor hun gezondheid (Kendig et al, 2007).…”

Long-term trends of men’s co-residence with children in England and Wales

“…More recently there have been investigations into how fatherhood affects men"s own well-being. The few studies addressing this issue indicated a better social integration and closer family ties of fathers (Eggebeen and Knoester 2001;Keizer, Dykstra, and Poortman 2010). Furthermore, it has been argued that a decreasing involvement of fathers in bringing up their children leads to an increased burden on women, who have to shoulder their stronger labour-market engagement without relief from their roles in the home (Jensen 1999).…”