Women who have children have a chance (no guarantees) to live longer than women who don't because the physical changes that happen to their bodies, especially hormonal activity, is very beneficial for their health.

Separately, Australian scientists did a study (see link below) and "It was found that close contact with children and relatives had little impact on survival rates over the 10 years" of the study.

On a philosophical note: People with children live forever through their progeny, or until their progeny no longer has progeny.

Guess the answer all depends on the specific element of parenthood you're talking about.

We could not have kids of our own, so we adopted a baby girl. She brought a lot of happiness and stress we did not know or even thought we could feel.Today she is 7 years old, and we are beginning to feel a lot of stress regarding her future and well being. In today,s world one's children do not really care for their parents after a certain age when their requirements for upkeep and education are fulfilled. So, I believe our end lives shall depend on how we lead it and shall not be dependent on our children,neither should we expect something in return for what we have tried to do for them and turn them into good human beings. Thus having children should not shorten our lives.

I would think that some of it is has to do with how we view and respond to stress, no?

Couples only recover their blissful existence once their offspring have left the nest, says Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University
He told a conference in Sydney that studies in America and Europe had shown that feelings of contentment spike during the early years of marriage, but fall heavily after having children.
Prof Gilbert said that a desire by couples to get a return on the time and money they have invested in their children is part of the reason they persuade themselves that their offspring are enhancing their lives.
"Figures show that married people are in almost every way happier than unmarried people – whether they are single, divorced, cohabiting," he said.
"Married people live longer, married people earn more money per capita, married people have more sex and enjoy it more."
However, when couples have children, happiness levels plummet. "Children do seem to increase happiness while you're expecting them, but as soon as you have them, trouble sets in," he told the "Happiness and its Causes" conference. "People are extremely happy before they have children and then their happiness goes down, and it takes another big hit when kids reach adolescence.
"When does it come back to its original baseline? Oh, about the time the children grow up and go away." Money was part of the reason that couples believed their children brought them happiness, he said.
Psychological studies have shown that people appreciate products more if they pay more for them. "We pay for children in time, attention, blood, sweat and tears – what kind of idiots would we be to devote all of that to the rearing of our young if they didn't bring us some happiness?" he said.
Repeated studies have shown that the period immediately surrounding childbirth can be the most stressful that couples experience. Psychologists have also found that couples with children are less satisfied with their marriage than those without.
Research in the Netherlands in the 1990s showed that couples who had two children were less happy than those with none. But some experts believe that it is not having children itself that breeds the discontent.
Richard Tunney, of the University of Nottingham, said: "From an evolutionary point of view we are programmed to procreate. It would not make sense for having children to make us unhappy.
"However, in countries like Britain, having children is hard – your finances are hit, childcare in this country is appalling and for women especially, their careers suffer.
"That is not the fault of having children per se, but of society."

Women having kids live a longer life in comparison to those who don't have kids because the hormonal changes that occurs during pregnancy is quite beneficial for women so because of this benefit people with kids lives longer life.

People with kids for sure!

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I really don't mind kids as long as they are someone elses to deal with. Yea, call me selfish but I enjoy life without kids...too many people have kids who shouldn't ....(most of society)..plus kids keep you broke and worried for the rest of your life...doesn't seem worth it to me.....what say you?
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It all depends, as a parent it depends on us how to handle stress and frustration, we all encounter shortcomings, we are not perfect. But to live long means, how we manage our lives, living in a happy environment with your family, by means of having unity or togetherness especially spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. All members of the family contributes to long lives of each family member, their support to each and everyone will be a good sign of happiness.