SRRD_2020_04.pdf (1.26 MB)
Health outcomes of only children across the life course: An investigation using Swedish register data
preprint
posted on 2020-01-31, 09:36 authored by Katherine Keenan, Kieron BarclayKieron Barclay, Alice GoisisAlice GoisisThe proportion of only children
– children with no full biological siblings – is growing in high-income
settings, but we know little about their life course outcomes and how this is
related to long-term health. Previous studies of only children have tended to
focus on short-term, developmental and intellectual outcomes in early life or
adolescence, and provide mixed evidence. Using Swedish population register data
on children born between 1940 and 1975, we compare only children with children
from multi-child sibling groups, taking into account birth order, family size
and half-siblings to account for family complexity. We consider physical health
outcomes measured at late adolescence (height, body mass index and physical
fitness), and mortality. Only children with and without half-siblings had lower
height and fitness scores, were more likely to be overweight or obese, and had
higher mortality, than those with 1 or 2 biological siblings. Only children
without half-siblings generally did better than only children with
half-siblings, suggesting that only children experiencing parental disruption
experience additional disadvantages. With the exception of height, the patterns
persist after adjustment for parental characteristics and after employing within-family
cousin comparison designs. In mortality models, some of the excess risk for
only children was explained by adjustment for fertility, marriage and
educational history. We discuss the extent to which the patterns we observe are
explained by selection processes and contextual differences in the prevalence
of one-child sibling groups.
Funding
the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland [RIG008234] awarded to Katherine Keenan
the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/S002103/1 to Alice Goisis]
the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) via the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in the Social and Medical Sciences (SIMSAM), grant 340- 2013-5164
the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working life and Welfare (FORTE), grant number 2016-07115
History
ISSN
2002-617XOriginal title
Health outcomes of only children across the life course: An investigation using Swedish register dataOriginal language
- English