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Parental divorce and adult longevity

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Objective

Life course research has established associations between adverse childhood events and later life health. We examine the relationship of experiencing parental divorce before the age of 16 and survival across 34 years of adulthood.

Methods

Analysis of panel data from a USA-based survey of 6,928 adults residing in Alameda County, California in 1965. Cox regression was used to examine associations between parental divorce and longevity.

Results

Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, gender, and childhood socioeconomic position, respondents who recalled a parental divorce during childhood had increased risk of mortality compared to those with no separation. The association was stronger for premature mortality and deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Divorce in childhood was also associated with lowered adult education, fewer social network ties, more depression, and worse health practices. These factors appeared to explain the association with longevity.

Conclusion

Parental divorce in childhood is associated with lowered well-being in adulthood and long-term survival. Early prevention and health promotion efforts may be warranted for children who experience parental divorce or discord as a means of supporting enhanced trajectories of health and well-being.

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Acknowledgments

The authors have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest. This research was supported in part by funding from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration for the Maternal and Child Health Life Course Research Network (#UA6MC19803) (Dr. Halfon) and NIH LRP (Dr. Larson). We also wish to thank Louba Aaronson and Amy Graber who assisted with data analysis and manuscript preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities, 10990 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Kandyce Larson & Neal Halfon

  2. Department of Pediatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Kandyce Larson & Neal Halfon

  3. Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Neal Halfon

  4. Department of Public Policy, School of Public Affairs, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Neal Halfon

Authors
  1. Kandyce Larson
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  2. Neal Halfon
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Correspondence to Kandyce Larson.

Additional information

This article is part of the special issue “Life course influences on health and health inequalities: moving towards a Public Health perspective.”

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Larson, K., Halfon, N. Parental divorce and adult longevity. Int J Public Health 58, 89–97 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0373-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0373-x

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