A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that women who had children at an older age were more likely to live a longer life [1]. The authors analyzed the medical, reproductive, and lifestyle histories of more than 20 thousand women who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative, a long-term study designed to learn more about women’s health and well-being through the ageing process. They found that women who had their first or only child after the age of 25 were more likely to live into their 90s than women who had their child(ren) before they were 25 years old.

The present study is the latest in a series which have explored the relationship between maternal age and longevity [2,3]. Together, these studies suggest that reproductive health is an indicator of overall health. However, the authors caution that this data should not encourage individuals to delay childbearing in an attempt to live longer, as the study has some limitations. First, women who had children after the age of 25 were more likely to be college educated and have a higher income. These socioeconomic and lifestyle factors may influence overall health. Likewise, they were less likely to be obese or suffer from any chronic conditions that might reduce longevity.

Within the United States, the average age at first childbirth has increased significantly, from 24.9 in 2000 to 26.3 in 2014 [4]. Going forward, it will be of great interest to study this generation of women, so that we may gain a better insight into how reproductive habits influence women’s health and well-being.

References:
1. Shadyab et al., Am J Public Health. 2016 Nov 17:e1-e7. [Epub ahead of print].
2. Sun et al., Menopause. 2015 Jan;22(1):26-31.
3. Jaffe et al., Ann Epidemiol. 2015 Jun;25(6):387-91.
4. Centers for Disease Control