SOCIAL PATHWAYS LIKELY LINK PARENTHOOD TO HEART DISEASE AND STROKE IN UNITED STATES OLDER ADULTS

摘要

Examine the association of number of lifetime children with heart disease and stroke in United States older adults. We analyzed the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a representative study with six cohorts born between 1890–1959. Participants self-reported number of children and doctor-diagnosed heart disease/stroke. In two sex-stratified logistic regression models (n≈19000), we included: cohort, census region, race/ethnicity, and then education. Compared to nulliparous women, those with 3–4, 5–6, and 7+ children had 1.21, 1.26, & 1.46 the odds of heart disease (p<0.05). With education, parity was no longer associated to heart disease. Similar results were observed for stroke. In men, compared to no children, having 3–4 and 5–6 children was significantly positively associated with heart disease (OR:1.20 & 1.56). For stroke, an association was only observed for 5–6 children. Adding education did not change the results. Findings suggest social pathways linking parenthood to cardiovascular health.