Recent population change has seen increases in life expectancy, reductions in family size, and postponement of fertility to older ages globally. We analyze how these joint dynamics have altered the experience of child death from the perspective of a prospective mother. The paper uses age-specific fertility and mortality rates (estimates and projections) to assess trends in the frequency and timing of child death over a woman’s life course using formal demographic methods. Our regional analysis shows a considerable reduction in the frequency of child death over time accompanied by a marked increase in the incidence of adult child deaths for mothers. Persisting international inequalities in the experience of death are troubling in a rapidly aging population, where the loss of social support from children has profound implications for the health and well-being of aging parents. This may be particularly so for low-income settings lacking institutional support for the old.
Presented by:
Dr. Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Date & time:
November 27, 2019 12:30 pm - November 27, 2019 1:30 pm
Venue:
ISER Large Seminar Room 2N2.4.16
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