Work

Double Trouble: The Burden of Child Rearing and Working on Maternal Mortality

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: We document increased old-age mortality rates among Swedish mothers of twins compared with mothers of singletons, using administrative data on mortality for 1990–2010. We argue that twins are an unplanned shock to fertility in the cohorts of older women considered. Deaths due to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart attacks—all of which are associated with stress during the life course—are significantly increased. Stratifying the sample by education and pension income shows the highest increase in mortality rates among highly educated mothers and those with above-median pension income. These results are consistent with the existence of a double burden on mothers’ health resulting from simultaneously child-rearing and working.

Source: Demography

DOI: 10.1007/s13524-020-00868-6

Authors: Tabea Bucher-Koenen, Helmut Farbmacher, Raphael Guber, Johan Vikström

Institutions: Centre for European Economic Research, University of Mannheim, Max Planck Society, Munich Research Institute for the Economics of Aging and SHARE Analyses, Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy

Language: English

Topic: Family Dynamics and Relationships

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,690