@article {11965, title = {The Death of a Child and Parents{\textquoteright} Psychological Distress in Mid to Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Differences in Exposure and Vulnerability.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B }, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, pages = {1561-1570}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study considered whether experiencing the death of a child is associated with subsequent psychological distress in older populations, as well as variation in both exposure and vulnerability to the death of a child among Black, Hispanic, and White older parents.

METHODS: We used multilevel models to link the death of a child with subsequent distress for 9,763 non-Hispanic White, 2,496 non-Hispanic Black, 1,014 foreign-born Hispanic, and 712 U.S.-born Hispanic parents from the Health and Retirement Study, 2006-2016.

RESULTS: The death of a child is associated with increased psychological distress in mid to later life for Black, White, and Hispanic parents, with greater vulnerability for foreign-born Hispanic parents. Notably, Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged because of the additive effects of their greater exposure to bereavement and their higher distress levels regardless of bereavement status. These effects persist net of additional stressors associated with race/ethnicity.

DISCUSSION: The death of a child is a traumatic life course event associated with lasting psychological distress for aging parents. Black and U.S.-born Hispanic parents are disadvantaged in that they are more likely than White parents to experience the death of a child, and foreign-born Hispanic parents may be disadvantaged by greater vulnerability to distress following child death.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, Cumulative advantage/disadvantage, Mental Health, Minority aging, Race/ethnicity}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbab206}, author = {Debra Umberson and Rachel Donnelly} } @article {12005, title = {Precarious Work in Midlife: Long-Term Implications for the Health and Mortality of Women and Men.}, journal = {Journal of Health and Social Behavior}, volume = {63}, year = {2022}, pages = {142-158}, abstract = {

Although prior research documents adverse health consequences of precarious work, we know less about how chronic exposure to precarious work in midlife shapes health trajectories among aging adults. The present study uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to consider how histories of precarious work in later midlife (ages 50-65) shape trajectories of health and mortality risk after age 65. Results show that greater exposure to unemployment, job insecurity, and insufficient work hours in midlife predicts more chronic conditions and functional limitations after age 65. Characteristics of precarious work also predict increased mortality risk in later life. Findings indicate few gender differences in linkages between precarious work and health; however, women are more likely than men to experience job insecurity throughout midlife. Because precarious work is unlikely to abate, results suggest the need to reduce the health consequences of working in precarious jobs.

}, keywords = {gender, health, life course, Mortality, precarious work}, issn = {2150-6000}, doi = {10.1177/00221465211055090}, author = {Rachel Donnelly} } @article {11184, title = {Death of a Child Prior to Midlife, Dementia Risk, and Racial Disparities.}, journal = {The Journals of Gerontology, Series B}, volume = {75}, year = {2020}, pages = {1983-1995}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study considers whether experiencing the death of a child prior to midlife (by parental age 40) is associated with subsequent dementia risk, and how such losses, which are more common for black than for white parents, may add to racial disparities in dementia risk.

METHODS: We use discrete-time event history models to predict dementia incidence among 9,276 non-Hispanic white and 2,182 non-Hispanic black respondents from the Health and Retirement Study, 2000-2014.

RESULTS: Losing a child prior to midlife is associated with increased risk for later dementia, and adds to disparities in dementia risk associated with race. The death of a child is associated with a number of biosocial variables that contribute to subsequent dementia risk, helping to explain how the death of child may increase risk over time.

DISCUSSION: The death of a child prior to midlife is a traumatic life course stressor with consequences that appear to increase dementia risk for both black and white parents, and this increased risk is explained by biosocial processes likely activated by bereavement. However, black parents are further disadvantaged in that they are more likely than white parents to experience the death of a child, and such losses add to the already substantial racial disadvantage in dementia risk.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, Cumulative advantage/disadvantage, Dementia, Minority aging}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbz154}, author = {Debra Umberson and Rachel Donnelly and Xu, Minle and Farina, Matthew and Michael A Garcia} } @article {9929, title = {Family Member Death and Subjective Life Expectancy Among Black and White Older Adults.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether exposure to family member deaths throughout the life course is associated with subjective life expectancy-a person{\textquoteright}s assessment of their own mortality risk-at age 65, with attention to differences by race.

METHOD: We analyzed 11 waves of data from a study of men and women above age 50 (Health and Retirement Study; n = 13,973).

RESULTS: Experiencing the deaths of multiple family members before the respondent is 50 years old is negatively associated with subjective life expectancy at age 65.

DISCUSSION: Understanding the life-course predictors of older adults{\textquoteright} subjective life expectancy is particularly important because survival expectations influence long-term planning, health, and longevity. Moreover, Black Americans are exposed to more family member deaths earlier in their life compared with White Americans, with implications for long-term health and well-being.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, Mortality, Racial/ethnic differences}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/0898264318809798}, author = {Rachel Donnelly and Debra Umberson and Tetyana Pudrovska} } @article {11288, title = {Precarious Work, Marital Quality, and Divorce: A Gendered Dyadic Analysis of Aging Couples}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {4}, year = {2020}, pages = {605 }, abstract = {Precarious work {\textendash} work that is unstable and insecure {\textendash} is often stressful and may contribute to marital strain and dissolution among midlife adults. However, prior research has not considered how precarious work spills over to spouses. Using longitudinal dyadic data of midlife couples from the Health and Retirement Study, I examine whether having a spouse in precarious work is associated with marital strain and dissolution, with attention to differences by gender. I find that indicators of precarious work (job insecurity, schedule variability) are associated with a heightened risk of marital strain and divorce in midlife. These patterns depend on the gender of the spouse experiencing precarious work. Understanding the implications of precarious work for marriage is important because poor marital quality and divorce hasten health declines at older ages. Thus, this study suggests that precarious work may be a risk factor for divorce and poor health among aging adults.}, keywords = {Divorce, Marital quality, precarious work}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2043}, author = {Rachel Donnelly} } @article {Donnelly2020, title = {Race, death of a child, and mortality risk among aging parents in the United States}, journal = {Social Science and Medicine}, volume = {249}, year = {2020}, pages = {112853}, abstract = {The death of a child is a stressful and traumatic life event that has been linked to increased mortality risk among parents. Tragically, black parents are significantly more likely than white parents to lose a child in the United States; however, prior research has not addressed this racial disadvantage in relation to parents{\textquoteright} mortality risk. In this study, we focus on the racial context of the United States to suggest that black parents already face higher mortality rates compared to white parents, and the unequal burden of child death adds to their mortality risk. Using discrete-time event history models, we consider whether the death of a child by midlife is associated with increased mortality risk for black parents and for white parents in mid- to later-life using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 1996{\textendash}2016). Descriptive results show that by midlife, black parents, especially black mothers, experience substantially higher child mortality compared with white parents. At the same time, we find that losing a child prior to midlife is associated with heightened mortality risk for aging black mothers and white mothers. Controlling for educational attainment explains the association between child death and parental mortality risk among white mothers, whereas heightened biopsychosocial and behavioral risk factors explain the association for black mothers. Overall, the death of a child is associated with increased mortality risk for black mothers and for white mothers, but the processes linking child death to parental mortality seem to differ for black and white parents. These findings have implications for policies and interventions that address increased mortality risk for parents following the death of a child. {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier Ltd}, keywords = {Bereavement, Death of a child, Minority aging, Mortality, race}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112853}, author = {Rachel Donnelly and Debra Umberson and Robert A Hummer and Michael A Garcia} } @article {10455, title = {DEATH OF A CHILD AND MORTALITY RISK OVER THE LIFE COURSE: RACIAL DISADVANTAGE IN THE U.S.}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {3}, year = {2019}, pages = {S436-S436}, abstract = {Numerous studies show that bereavement, including bereavement following the death of a minor child, increases mortality risk in white populations. The death of a child prior to midlife has received much less attention. Moreover, recent research shows that black Americans are substantially more likely to lose a child compared to white Americans, but this racial disadvantage is largely unexplored. Losing a child is a traumatic event that may activate biopsychosocial and behavioral risk factors that add to mortality risk. We analyze longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2014) to assess the association of child loss prior to midlife with mortality risk in mid to later life, and the possible biopsychosocial and behavioral covariates linking child death to mortality. The analytic sample includes 20,489 non-Hispanic white respondents and 5,328 non-Hispanic black respondents who have ever given birth to or fathered at least one child. Findings suggest that that the death of a child prior to midlife is associated with increased mortality risk, net of sociodemographic controls. Psychological (e.g., depressive symptoms), behavioral (e.g., alcohol use, smoking), and social (e.g., income, marital status) factors explain this heightened mortality risk. Although the heightened mortality risk for child loss is similar for black and white parents, black parents experience a greater disadvantage as they are almost twice as likely as white parents to lose a child prior to midlife. Child loss and the resulting health risks disproportionately burden black families, functioning as a unique source of disadvantage for black Americans.}, keywords = {child death, mortality risk, race, race-ethnicity, Racial Disparities}, isbn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igz038.1630}, author = {Rachel Donnelly and Debra Umberson and Robert A Hummer and Michael A Garcia} } @article {8895, title = {Death of family members as an overlooked source of racial disadvantage in the United States.}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {114}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jan 31}, pages = {915-920}, abstract = {

Long-standing racial differences in US life expectancy suggest that black Americans would be exposed to significantly more family member deaths than white Americans from childhood through adulthood, which, given the health risks posed by grief and bereavement, would add to the disadvantages that they face. We analyze nationally representative US data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (n = 7,617) and the Health and Retirement Study (n = 34,757) to estimate racial differences in exposure to the death of family members at different ages, beginning in childhood. Results indicate that blacks are significantly more likely than whites to have experienced the death of a mother, a father, and a sibling from childhood through midlife. From young adulthood through later life, blacks are also more likely than whites to have experienced the death of a child and of a spouse. These results reveal an underappreciated layer of racial inequality in the United States, one that could contribute to the intergenerational transmission of health disadvantage. By calling attention to this heightened vulnerability of black Americans, our findings underscore the need to address the potential impact of more frequent and earlier exposure to family member deaths in the process of cumulative disadvantage.

}, keywords = {Bereavement, Death \& Dying, Disadvantage, Loss, Older Adults, Racial/ethnic differences}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1605599114}, author = {Debra Umberson and Olson, Julie Skalamera and Crosnoe, Robert and Hui Liu and Tetyana Pudrovska and Rachel Donnelly} }