There are many reasons to have children. Almost as many as not to have them. But, now, new research by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, adds one more in favor of the first option. And it is the fact that, apparently, people with offspring live longer than those who do not.
The study authors analyzed life expectancy in more than one million people born between 1911 and 1925, and found that on average people with children lived longer. Specifically, the average for men was two years longer, and for women a year and a half.
But what can be the cause? The researchers are not entirely clear, but are almost convinced that it may be due to the protective effect that children create around their parents as they grow older. Because they are people who receive more physical and emotional care. On the contrary, people without children face more deficiencies at this stage of their lives.
Another factor may also be the fact that people with children tend to take better care of themselves and to follow healthier habits during the period of life in which they are being educated.
Of course, this is a statistical study and, therefore, a cause-and-effect relationship can not be established. That is, having children does not guarantee longevity. But the results are interesting enough to take them into account.
