Female fertility history and mid-late-life health: Findings from China.
China's middle-aged and older women suffer from poorer health than men. Using national baseline data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a survey conducted from 2011 to 2012, this article applies logistic models to investigate the association between female fertility history (parity, early childbearing, late childbearing) and middle-aged and late-life health. We find that parity is related to the mid-late-life health of women. Women with four children or more are more likely to suffer from activities of daily living (ADL) impairment and poorer self-rated health than those with one to three children. Early childbearing is associated with ADL impairment; however, the correlation is mediated by socioeconomic status. Early childbearing is related to self-rated health in later life by an indirect-only mediation effect via educational attainment and personal income.
a Institute for Population and Development Studies , Xi'an Jiaotong University (China) , Xi'an City , Shaanxi Province, China.
Xiaomin
X
Li
a Institute for Population and Development Studies , Xi'an Jiaotong University (China) , Xi'an City , Shaanxi Province, China.
Quanbao
Q
Jiang
a Institute for Population and Development Studies , Xi'an Jiaotong University (China) , Xi'an City , Shaanxi Province, China.
Shuzhuo
S
Li
b Morrison Institute for Population and Resource Studies , Stanford University , Stanford , California , USA.
Marcus W
MW
Feldman
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D002681:China; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017584:Reproductive History; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
ADL impairment; early childbearing; fertility history; late childbearing; parity; self-rated health