Fatherhood Tied to Greater Longevity in Black Men

TUESDAY, June 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Fatherhood in Black men appears to protect against all-cause mortality by middle age compared with nonfathers; however, Black men who became fathers younger than 29 years of age tended to have a higher risk for early death, according to a study published online June 4 in the American Journal of Public Health.John James Parker, M.D., from the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues examined associations between fatherhood and cardiovascular health, incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality. The analysis included 1,648 men with fatherhood data participating in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study (enrollment at age 18 to 30 years in 1985 to 1986).The researchers found that among Black men, fathers had lower death rates than nonfathers (hazard ratio [HR], 0.5). Compared with Black men who became fathers at age 30 years or older, Black men who were younger than 25 years (HR, 4.2) or aged 25 to 29 years (HR, 4.2) at fatherhood onset had higher death rates. Younger White fathers (younger than 25 years or 25 to 29 years at fatherhood onset) had worse total cardiovascular health versus White fathers aged 30 years or older (69.2 and 69.9 versus 73.3 points on the Life's Essential 8 scores)."Our finding that becoming a father at a young age placed men at risk for worse health in the long-term supports previous research," Parker said in a statement. "It also highlights an important opportunity to intervene with young fathers, to educate them about behaviors that promote health and offer social supports. Ultimately, we need to raise awareness among young fathers that their health impacts the well-being of the entire family."Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Fatherhood Tied to Greater Longevity in Black Men

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