Gender and racial/ethnic disparities in the life-course timing of first unpaid caregiving: a survival analysis approach

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Extensive research documents gender and racial/ethnic disparities in unpaid caregiving, defined as providing informal care to adults or children with illness, disability, or special care needs, excluding routine childcare. Yet, little is known about how the timing of caregiving entry varies across diverse groups. Despite the growing number of foreign-born Hispanics in the United States, evidence on caregiving entry among Hispanic subgroups remains scarce. Methods We used data (N = 11,624) from the Health and Retirement Study (1992–2020) and the Life History Mail Survey (2017 and 2019). Using survival analysis, we estimated how the risk of entering first unpaid caregiving (lasting 6 months or longer) unfolds over the life course and varies by gender and racial/ethnic groups, as well as nativity among Hispanics. Results The likelihood of entering caregiving increased gradually with age, peaking around age 56 and declining thereafter. Women were roughly twice as likely as men to become caregivers, with the gender gap widening through midlife and persisting into old age. Differences between non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites were minimal. In contrast, U.S.-born Hispanics entered caregiving earlier in the life course than non-Hispanic Whites, whereas foreign-born Hispanics showed reduced entry particularly across midlife and old age. U.S.-born Hispanics show higher entry into caregiving than foreign-born Hispanics, with differences emerging in young adulthood. Discussion Our findings underscore persistent gender disparities in unpaid caregiving beginning early in adulthood and continuing into later life. The distinct timing patterns among Hispanic subgroups highlight the importance of considering nativity status in caregiving research.