Life and Death: How Do Reproductive Factors Affect Women's Subsequent Mortality?

Women's reproductive characteristics affect their health later in life. To elucidate the relations between reproductive factors and mortality, investigators analyzed data from 322,972 women in 10 countries who enrolled in a prospective cohort study between 1992 and 2000. Analyses were stratified by study center and participants' age and were adjusted for body mass index, physical activity, education, smoking, and menopausal status; alcohol intake was examined as a potential confounder but excluded from final models.

During a mean 13 years of follow-up, all-cause mortality was 20% lower among parous than nulliparous women. Among parous women, all-cause mortality was additionally 18% lower in those who had ever breast-fed than in those who had…