Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Dating in later life is likely common, especially as the proportion of older adults who are single continues to rise. Yet there are no recent national estimates of either the prevalence or factors associated with dating during older adulthood. Using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative sample of 3, individuals ages , the authors constructed a national portrait of older adult daters.
Dating was more common among men than women and declined with age. Compared to non-daters, daters were more socially advantaged. Daters were more likely to be college educated and had more assets, were in better health, and reported more social connectedness.
This study underscores the importance of new research on partnering in later life, particularly with the aging of the U.
A growing share of the U. Unmarried older adults often form partnerships, although they increasingly do so outside of marriage de Jong Gierveld, The rise in unmarried individuals suggests the availability of a large pool of potential partners for non-coresidential relationships, too.
Dating in later life may offer many of the benefits of a close intimate relationship without the constraints entailed by coresidence. For others, dating may be a stepping stone to cohabitation or marriage. These studies illustrate the range of meanings of dating in later life.
