In a groundbreaking new study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, it found that having kids may shorten a man's life. The research, which was published in the journal AJPM Focus, found that as men age, those who have children tend to have worse cardiovascular health as compared to men who do not have children. The researchers determined this by looking at a variety of things such as diet, exercise, smoking, weight, blood pressure and blood lipid/glucose levels.

Researchers on this study theorize that the men's declining cardiovascular health is due to the added responsibilities and stress that come with parenthood, making it harder to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, the study also found that fathers has lower rates of death from any cause compared to men without children. This may be because fathers benefit from a stronger support system and have future caretakers in the form of their adult children down the line. Researchers took a took at fathers of different races to see if there were any differences that stood out. They found that younger dads, especially Black and Hispanic men, had the worst heart health outcomes and had higher death rates. The scientists theorized that socioeconomic factors come into play, such as financial instability and lack of benefits, making it difficult for them to prioritize self-care.

“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,” says the study’s corresponding author, Dr. John James Parker, an internist, pediatrician, and assistant professor of pediatrics and general internal medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a media release. “We really need to study fathers as a unique population and track men’s health outcomes as they become fathers. Cardiovascular health is especially important since the health behaviors and factors are all modifiable.” He continued, “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,” Parker explains. “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. A lot of times we focus on the health of mothers and children, and we don’t even think of fathers, but their health has a major influence on their family,” Parker concludes, noting previous studies that have found higher obesity rates among partners if their spouse was obese. “To improve the health of families, we need to consider the multi-directional relationship among mothers, fathers, other caregivers and children.”