All in the Family: The Impact of Family Events on Health in Midlife

Mary Elizabeth Hughes, Duke University
Linda Waite, University of Chicago

In this paper, we address the extent to which events in other family members' lives affect the health of persons in mid life? In these years, individuals are well established and are often providing support to others. Often, this support is due to crises or difficulties in the other person's life. Although most adults in this age group are healthy and function at high levels, a substantial fraction is beginning to show signs of health impairment. Thus, understanding the health implications of offering support to family members is critical. We base our analysis on data from Waves 1 to3 of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of the 1931-1941 birth cohorts. We examine health in three dimensions: self-reported health, symptoms of depression, and incidence of chronic conditions. We also explore the impact of family events on health behaviors.