Single Fathers High Risk to Die: A Longitudinal Analysis of Mortality for Single and Partnered Parents in Denmark

Mine Kühn , Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Angela Carollo, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Linda Ahrenfeldt, Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark

The proportion of single parent households headed by men is increasing in many developed countries. However, the vast majority of studies have investigated single mothers and very few focus on single fathers. The purpose of the present study is to examine the mortality of single fathers in comparison with single mothers and partnered parents. The study is conducted by linking high-quality register data on the total Danish population. Survival analyses were used to investigate differences in mortality among the single parents and partnered households. By providing longitudinal characteristics, such as the length of single parenthood and the pathways into single parenthood, we consider the heterogeneity among single parents. The results show that single fathers face the highest mortality risk. While single fathers suffered most from widowhood, single mothers have the highest disadvantage in mortality when they were divorced.

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 Presented in Session 5. Health & Mortality 1