Fathers face significantly lower premature death rates, study finds

Men who become fathers are substantially less likely to die young than childless men, according to a Northwestern University study that tracked more than 130,000 births in Georgia over five years.

The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, suggest fatherhood itself carries a protective effect on men's health — a dimension of parental well-being that researchers say has been largely overlooked compared with maternal health.

Researchers tracked death certificates for fathers of 130,267 babies born in Georgia in 2017, following outcomes through 2022. The analysis compared mortality rates between men with children and those without, according to The Korea Times.

The protective gap was most pronounced among men in their early 30s. Fathers aged 30 to 34 had a mortality rate of 120 deaths per 100,000, compared with 231 deaths per 100,000 for childless men in the same age group — nearly half the rate.

Of the 796 fathers who died before their child's sixth birthday, 60.3 percent — or 480 men — died from preventable "unnatural causes" including homicide, accidents, suicide and drug overdose, according to the study.

"Fatherhood appears to provide a protective effect for men," said Dr. Craig Garfield, a pediatrician and lead author of the study at Northwestern University. Garfield also highlighted "the profound impact a parent's death can have on young children, particularly during infancy," noting that the research carries implications beyond adult health outcomes alone.

Garfield said the study addresses a longstanding gap. "Maternal health after childbirth has received sustained attention and research," he said. "Fathers' health has been relatively overlooked."

The findings add urgency to calls for broader support programs targeting fathers during the early years of parenthood, a period in which preventable causes account for the majority of deaths in that group.

The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics. The Korea Times reported the findings, citing the Korean health and medical portal Kormedi.com.