%0 Journal Article %J Journal of Aging and Health %D 2020 %T Association of parenthood with incident heart disease in United States' older men and women: A longitudinal analysis of health and retirement study data. %A Sarah L Hipp %A Wu, Yan Yan %A Nicole T A Rosendaal %A Catherine M. Pirkle %K Gender Differences %K Heart disease %K Parents %K Risk Factors %K Socioeconomic factors %X

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of number of children birthed/fathered with incident heart disease, accounting for socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics.

METHODS: We analyzed data from 24,923 adults 50 and older (55% women) in the Health and Retirement Study. Participants self-reported number of children and doctor-diagnosed incident heart disease. Cox proportional hazards models estimated heart disease risk.

RESULTS: Compared to women with one to two children, those with five or more had increased risk of heart disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.03, 1.25]). Compared to men with one to two children, those with five or more had a marginally increased risk of heart disease (HR = 1.11, 95% CI = [0.99, 1.25]), but this association attenuated in models adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle variables. Compared to men with no children, those with five or more retained a borderline significant association in the fully adjusted model (HR = 1.15, 95% CI = [0.99, 1.35]).

DISCUSSION: Social and lifestyle pathways appear to link parenthood to cardiovascular health.

%B Journal of Aging and Health %V 32 %P 517-529 %G eng %N 7-8 %9 Journal %R 10.1177/0898264319831512