Elsevier

Women's Health Issues

Volume 25, Issue 2, March–April 2015, Pages 176-184
Women's Health Issues

Original article
Is Being Childless Detrimental to a Woman's Health and Well-Being Across Her Life Course?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2014.12.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Childlessness is a growing phenomenon. Previous research examining health and well-being differentials between women with and without children has produced conflicting results. Most of this research has been conducted in the United States or parts of Europe. There has been limited research in Australia that has examined the health and well-being of women with and without children across the life course. The aim of the current study was to examine the association between motherhood status and general physical and mental health and well-being over a 10-year time period.

Methods

Using 10 waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study, longitudinal linear mixed models with time varying variables (both dependent and independent) were constructed to assess the effect of childlessness on health and well-being based on the Short Form-36 Health Survey Version 1 (n = 52,381 observations).

Findings

Findings suggest that childless women experience poorer physical and mental health and well-being during the peak reproductive years; however, this trend is reversed for women aged 65 years or more. Although never-married, childless women experienced better health and well-being compared with mothers, this was not the case for childless women who were divorced, separated, or widowed or in a relationship.

Conclusion

The findings support the notion that whether or not a woman has children does have consequences for her health and well-being; however, this differs across the life course.

Section snippets

Methods

This study used data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study (HILDA). HILDA is a household-based panel study that collects information about economic and subjective well-being, labor market, and family dynamics (Summerfield et al., 2011). HILDA is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, formally known as the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, and is conducted by the Melbourne

Results

Table 1 presents the demographic characteristics of the women at Wave 1. More than one-half of the women (54.71%) were aged between 25 and 44 years, 55% were in a relationship and living with their partner, 42.26% had completed education at year 11 or below, and 59.71% were employed.

At Wave 1, 68.10% of the women (n = 4,139) were mothers and 31.90% (n = 1,939) were childless. Table 2 presents the association between the demographic characteristics of the women by motherhood status at Wave 1.

Discussion

This study found women that experience both better and worse health and well-being at different stages in their life, and that this differed between women with and without children. Notably, the current study found the peak reproductive years were a time of poorer health and well-being for childless women. For example, childless women aged between 34 and 44 years experienced poorer physical component summary measure scores, more bodily pain, worse general health, and poorer physical and social

Acknowledgments

This paper uses unit record data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. The HILDA Project was initiated and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) and is managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (Melbourne Institute). The findings and views reported in this paper, however, are those of the author and should not be attributed to either DSS or the Melbourne Institute. The author acknowledges

Melissa Graham, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion (CHASE), School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University. Her research focuses on women's sexual and reproductive health, particularly women who do not mother.

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    Melissa Graham, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion (CHASE), School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University. Her research focuses on women's sexual and reproductive health, particularly women who do not mother.

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