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Gender Differences in Spousal Care Across the Later Life Course.
11 University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
Research on Aging
|May 20, 2016
Summary
The gender gap in spousal caregiving narrows with age as men reduce full-time work and increase care for wives. This trend highlights how employment and age influence caregiving dynamics in later life.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Family Studies
Background:
- Spouses are primary caregivers for ill or disabled partners.
- Existing research indicates wives provide more care than husbands.
- Limited research explores the gender gap in spousal care across the life course.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the moderating effects of age, gender, and full-time employment on spousal caregiving.
- To understand how the gender gap in caregiving changes throughout later life.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study.
- Analyzed spousal care receipt among community-dwelling married adults.
- Investigated the influence of age, gender, and employment status.
Main Results:
- The gender gap in spousal care was larger in middle age (50-65) compared to older age.
- As individuals aged, the gender gap decreased.
- Men leaving full-time employment and increasing caregiving for wives contributed to the narrowing gap.
Conclusions:
- The gender gap in spousal caregiving is dynamic and influenced by age and employment.
- Reduced gender disparities in full-time employment correlate with a narrower caregiving gap.
- Findings suggest caregiving roles evolve with age and changing work patterns.
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