The death of a child and parents’ frailty in mid to later life: a longitudinal study in China

The association between child loss and frailty has rarely been explored. This study aimed to examine the association between child loss and frailty, with attention to variations by the timing and frequency of the loss. Data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, including 11,189 participants aged 45 and above. The impact of child loss on frailty was assessed through linear mixed models, and mediation analysis was conducted with the Karlson-Holm-Breen method. Results indicated that bereaved parents exhibited higher frailty levels than non-bereaved parents. The effect of child loss on frailty varied by the timing of the loss and followed a dose-response relationship. Mediation analysis revealed that life satisfaction and social engagement mediated this relationship. Moreover, mothers experienced a faster progression of frailty than fathers following child loss. These findings show that child loss predicts frailty and call for early intervention.