Racial Variations of Parity Status as a Predictor of Disability Onset Among Old-Old Women

Abstract

This research investigates whether the capacity of parity status to predict disability onset varies by race among older women. Data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (1998–2008) was used, and a series of discrete-time event-history models were estimated using multinomial logistic regression. Disability onset was constructed from five common Activities of Daily Living (ADL) measures (i.e., difficulty dressing, bathing, eating, getting in/out of bed, and walking). The initial risk group was old-old women (i.e., born before 1925) without disability in 1998 (N=2,229). Nulliparous and high parity Black women born before 1925 were more likely to develop disability onset compared to White women with the same parity status. The results suggest that parity status among Black older women may be a salient risk factor for disability onset.

Age Trajectories of Physical Health Among Older Adults of Mexican Descent: Implications of Immigrant Status, Age at Immigration, and Gender

“…In particular, prior research argues that higher fertility might be related to an increased risk of various chronic conditions not only due to hormonal changes and other physiological effects of pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation among women but also as a result of greater levels of stress related to childrearing and parenting among both men and women (Evenson & Simon, 2005; Grundy & Kravdal, 2010; Kravdal, 1996). The findings of the present study are also in accord with prior research in the United States that did not find significant associations between a greater number of offspring and ADL limitations in later life (Kington, Lillard, & Rogowski, 1997; Latham & Holcomb, 2014; Spence, 2008). It should be noted, however, that previous studies in other countries suggest that higher fertility may lead to more ADL limitations among older adults (e.g., see Engelman, Agree, Yount, & Bishai, 2010, for Egypt and Li, Jiang, Li, & Feldman, 2018, for China).…”

Social Cost and Health: The Downside of Social Relationships and Social Networks

“…The parenthood–depression association exists in more countries for women than for men (Huijts, Kraaykamp, and Subramanian 2013). High-parity black women are more likely to experience disability than high-parity white women (Latham and Holcomb 2014). The parenthood–depression association appears more in countries with tolerant norms toward childlessness and higher levels of social contacts (Huijts et al 2013).…”