The Effect of Childbearing on Mortality: A Historical Analysis of how Number of Children Affected Utah Women's Longevity

Daniel H Poole, University of Utah

This paper examines the mortality effect of childbearing on Utah women. More specifically, I explore how the number of children a woman had affected the number of years she lived. It is important to consider this relationship for many reasons. While issues of fertility such as abortion, birth control, one child policies, and many others become more and more debated and important in people's lives, it is helpful to look at historical trends which can shed insight into the reality. This study uses historical data from Utah women who have documented information regarding fertility and longevity. In short, I find that among this group of women, as the number of children increased, their life-years decreased.