mmalabanan
You can expect to live a longer life if you decide to endure toddler tantrums, sibling fights, sleepless nights, teen angst and other challenges parents have to go through, according to a research published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Parents compared to childless peers tend to gain more in life expectancy, based on a study that tracked the lifespan of over 1.4 million men and women born between 1911 and 1925 living in Sweden.
Compared to childless individuals, males and females with at least one offspring had lower death risks.
“At 60 years of age, the difference in life expectancy was two years for men and 1.5 years for women,” the study concluded.
At the age of 80, men who have children had a remaining life expectancy of seven years and eight months compared to seven years for childless males. On the other hand, mothers have a life expectancy of nine years and six months at 80 compared to childless females with life expectancy of eight years and 11 months.
Scientists believe that parents can get social and financial support from their children in older age, giving them a greater chance at living longer. They are also looking into the possibility that childless people live unhealthier lifestyles than parents.
The study also revealed that the link between parenthood and longer life was seen strongest in single, older men as they tend to depend more heavily on their offsprings in the absence of a partner.
