Becoming A Dad Before 25 Years Could Lead To Early Death

Becoming a father before becoming 25 can be dangerous and deadly, according to hindustantimes.

Men who became early fathers had poor health and died faster than others. The reason could probably be "family environment, early socioeconomic circumstances and genes", researchers said.

"The findings provide evidence of a need to support young fathers struggling with the demands of family life in order to promote good health behaviours and future health," the authors noted in the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Death could be caused by heart disease and excessive drinking. "The findings of our study suggest that the association between young fatherhood and mid life mortality is likely to be causal," said Dr Elina Einiö, of the Population Research Unit, at the University of Helsinki, Finland, according to telegraph.

"The association was not explained by unobserved early life characteristics shared by brothers or by certain adult characteristics known to be associated both with fertility timing and mortality. The findings of our study provide evidence of a need to support young fathers struggling with the demands of family life in order to promote good health behaviours and future health."

Researchers based their conclusions on a representative sample of households drawn from a 1950 Finnish Census. More than 30,500 men born between 1940 and 1950 became fathers by the age of 45 were involved in the study.

The dads were tracked from 45 years till 54, or till death, using "mortality data" for 1985-2005.

The average age for such fathers was 25-26 years, and men in this age bracket were part of a reference study. Factors such as education, residence, marital status and number of children were taken into account. Men who becamse fathers before 22 years had a 26% higher risk of death in mid-life than those who had fathered their first child when they were 25 or 26 years.

Again, young fathers by the age of 22 and 24 had a 14% higher risk of dying when they reached middle age. Such conclusions were disassociated from other factors in adulthood or their year of birth.

On the other hand, men who reached fatherhood later, between 30 and 44 years, had 25% reduced risk of death in middle age, compared to those who got their first child at 25 or 26 years.

Those men who became fathers between 27 and 29 years, were the same as men in the reference group.

"The promotion of good health behaviours in young fathers can support healthy behaviour in their children too," the authors suggested.