The old joke suggests that fatherhood causes a man’s hair to go prematurely gray.
Whether or not that’s accurate, being a father does appear to increase men’s risk of poor heart health later in life, according to new research.
Fathers tended to have worse cardiovascular health than men without children, based on factors including diet, exercise, smoking, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, researchers reported in the journal AJPM Focus.
Researcher Dr. John James Parker, an assistant professor of pediatrics and general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, explained: “The changes in heart health we found suggest that the added responsibility of childcare and the stress of transitioning to fatherhood may make it difficult for men to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as a healthy diet and exercise.”
Study Details
Researchers analyzed data from more than 2,800 men ages 45 to 84.
Surprising Paradox
Although fathers had worse heart health, the study also found they actually have lower death rates than men without children.
That might be because fathers have better social support systems, and social connectedness has been linked to lower mortality risk, Parker said.
Parker noted in a Northwestern news release: “Fathers may also be more likely to have someone as their future caretaker [i.e., their children] to help them attend medical appointments and manage medications and treatments as they get older.”
He added: “We also found that fathers had lower rates of depressive symptoms than non-fathers, so mental health may be contributing to the lower age-adjusted death rates in fathers.”
Racial Differences
The study found that Black men particularly benefitted from being fathers, with lower death rates than Black non-fathers.
Parker stated: “Fatherhood may be protective for Black men. Maybe becoming a father helps promote a healthy lifestyle for Black men. Studying this association further could have important public health implications.”
Young Fathers Face Greater Risks
Conversely, men who became fathers earlier in life—age 25 or younger—tended to have worse heart health and higher death rates.
Parker explained: “If you’re under 25, you may be less financially stable, your brain may be less mature and, especially for racial and ethnic minorities, you may have lower-paying jobs with fewer benefits and limited leave policies. All of this can make it harder to focus on your health. There are a lot of public health interventions for young mothers, but no one has ever really looked at young fathers in this way.”
Smoking Concerns
The study also found higher smoking rates among fathers, which contradicts other studies suggesting many men quit smoking when they have children, Parker said.
He noted: “This study looked at older fathers, so it’s possible men might quit smoking when they become fathers but then later, maybe they become more stressed and take up the habit again. Either way, we should look at what’s happening with smoking rates because smoking is a leading cause of preventative death and if a father is smoking it will influence their families as well.”
This research highlights the complex relationship between fatherhood and men’s health, suggesting that while fathers may enjoy social and mental health benefits that reduce mortality risk, they face challenges in maintaining cardiovascular health that deserve greater attention from healthcare providers and public health initiatives.