TY - JOUR
T1 - Older Adults Without Close Kin in the United States
AU - Margolis, Rachel
AU - Verdery, Ashton M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Sandell Grant from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (BC16-S5). The HRS (Health and Retirement Study) is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (grant number NIA U01AG009740) and is conducted by the University of Michigan.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/7/1
Y1 - 2017/7/1
N2 - Objectives: We document the size and characteristics of the population of older adults without close kin in the contemporary United States. Methods: Using the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the prevalence of lacking different types and combinations of living kin, examine how kinless-ness is changing across birth cohorts, and provide estimates of kinless-ness for sociodemographic and health groups. Results: In 1998-2010, 6.6% of U.S. adults aged 55 and above lacked a living spouse and biological children and 1% lacked a partner/spouse, any children, biological siblings, and biological parents. Kinless-ness, defined both ways, is becoming more common among adults in their 50s and 60s for more recent birth cohorts. Lacking close kin is more prevalent among women than men, native born than immigrants, never-married, those living alone, college-educated women, those with low levels of wealth, and those in poor health. Discussion: Kinless-ness should be of interest to policy makers because it is more common among those with social, economic and health risks; those who live alone, with low levels of wealth, and disability. Aging research should address the implications of kinless-ness for public health, social isolation, and the demand for institutional care.
AB - Objectives: We document the size and characteristics of the population of older adults without close kin in the contemporary United States. Methods: Using the Health and Retirement Study, we examine the prevalence of lacking different types and combinations of living kin, examine how kinless-ness is changing across birth cohorts, and provide estimates of kinless-ness for sociodemographic and health groups. Results: In 1998-2010, 6.6% of U.S. adults aged 55 and above lacked a living spouse and biological children and 1% lacked a partner/spouse, any children, biological siblings, and biological parents. Kinless-ness, defined both ways, is becoming more common among adults in their 50s and 60s for more recent birth cohorts. Lacking close kin is more prevalent among women than men, native born than immigrants, never-married, those living alone, college-educated women, those with low levels of wealth, and those in poor health. Discussion: Kinless-ness should be of interest to policy makers because it is more common among those with social, economic and health risks; those who live alone, with low levels of wealth, and disability. Aging research should address the implications of kinless-ness for public health, social isolation, and the demand for institutional care.
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U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbx068
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbx068
M3 - Article
C2 - 28575387
AN - SCOPUS:85021818586
SN - 1079-5014
VL - 72
SP - 688
EP - 693
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
IS - 4
ER -