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Meulman I, Loef B, Stadhouders N, Moger TA, Wong A, Polder JJ, Uiters E. Estimating healthcare expenditures after becoming divorced or widowed using propensity score matching. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2023; 24:1047-1060. [PMID: 36251142 PMCID: PMC10406688 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-022-01532-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Becoming divorced or widowed are stressful life events experienced by a substantial part of the population. While marital status is a significant predictor in many studies on healthcare expenditures, effects of a change in marital status, specifically becoming divorced or widowed, are less investigated. This study combines individual health claims data and registered sociodemographic characteristics from all Dutch inhabitants (about 17 million) to estimate the differences in healthcare expenditure for individuals whose marital status changed (n = 469,901) compared to individuals who remained married, using propensity score matching and generalized linear models. We found that individuals who were (long-term) divorced or widowed had 12-27% higher healthcare expenditures (RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.11-1.14; RR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.26-1.29) than individuals who remained married. Foremost, this could be attributed to higher spending on mental healthcare and home care. Higher healthcare expenditures are observed for both divorced and widowed individuals, both recently and long-term divorced/widowed individuals, and across all age groups, income levels and educational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Meulman
- Center for Health and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
- Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
| | - Bette Loef
- Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Niek Stadhouders
- Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tron Anders Moger
- Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Albert Wong
- Department of Statistics, Informatics and Modeling, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Johan J Polder
- Center for Health and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Uiters
- Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Katsiferis A, Bhatt S, Mortensen LH, Mishra S, Jensen MK, Westendorp RGJ. Machine learning models of healthcare expenditures predicting mortality: A cohort study of spousal bereaved Danish individuals. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289632. [PMID: 37549164 PMCID: PMC10406307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to accurately predict survival in older adults is crucial as it guides clinical decision making. The added value of using health care usage for predicting mortality remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate if temporal patterns of healthcare expenditures, can improve the predictive performance for mortality, in spousal bereaved older adults, next to other widely used sociodemographic variables. METHODS This is a population-based cohort study of 48,944 Danish citizens 65 years of age and older suffering bereavement within 2013-2016. Individuals were followed from date of spousal loss until death from all causes or 31st of December 2016, whichever came first. Healthcare expenditures were available on weekly basis for each person during the follow-up and used as predictors for mortality risk in Extreme Gradient Boosting models. The extent to which medical spending trajectories improved mortality predictions compared to models with sociodemographics, was assessed with respect to discrimination (AUC), overall prediction error (Brier score), calibration, and clinical benefit (decision curve analysis). RESULTS The AUC of age and sex for mortality the year after spousal loss was 70.8% [95% CI 68.8, 72.8]. The addition of sociodemographic variables led to an increase of AUC ranging from 0.9% to 3.1% but did not significantly reduce the overall prediction error. The AUC of the model combining the variables above plus medical spending usage was 80.8% [79.3, 82.4] also exhibiting smaller Brier score and better calibration. Overall, patterns of healthcare expenditures improved mortality predictions the most, also exhibiting the highest clinical benefit among the rest of the models. CONCLUSION Temporal patterns of medical spending have the potential to significantly improve our assessment on who is at high risk of dying after suffering spousal loss. The proposed methodology can assist in a more efficient risk profiling and prognosis of bereaved individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Katsiferis
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Denmark
| | - Samir Bhatt
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laust Hvas Mortensen
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Denmark
| | - Swapnil Mishra
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Majken Karoline Jensen
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Denmark
| | - Rudi G. J. Westendorp
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Zhang Y, Gerdtham UG, Rydell H, Lundgren T, Jarl J. Healthcare costs after kidney transplantation compared to dialysis based on propensity score methods and real world longitudinal register data from Sweden. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10730. [PMID: 37400547 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37814-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to estimate the healthcare costs of kidney transplantation compared with dialysis using a propensity score approach to handle potential treatment selection bias. We included 693 adult wait-listed patients who started renal replacement therapy between 1998 and 2012 in Region Skåne and Stockholm County Council in Sweden. Healthcare costs were measured as annual and monthly healthcare expenditures. In order to match the data structure of the kidney transplantation group, a hypothetical kidney transplant date of persons with dialysis were generated for each dialysis patient using the one-to-one nearest-neighbour propensity score matching method. Applying propensity score matching and inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment models, the potential outcome means and average treatment effect were estimated. The estimated healthcare costs in the first year after kidney transplantation were €57,278 (95% confidence interval (CI) €54,467-60,088) and €47,775 (95% CI €44,313-51,238) for kidney transplantation and dialysis, respectively. Thus, kidney transplantation leads to higher healthcare costs in the first year by €9,502 (p = 0.066) compared to dialysis. In the following two years, kidney transplantation is cost saving [€36,342 (p < 0.001) and €44,882 (p < 0.001)]. For patients with end-stage renal disease, kidney transplantation reduces healthcare costs compared with dialysis over three years after kidney transplantation, even though the healthcare costs are somewhat higher in the first year. Relating the results of existing estimates of costs and health benefits of kidney transplantation shows that kidney transplantation is clearly cost-effective compared to dialysis in Sweden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhang
- Population and Development Research Center, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
- School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
- Health Economics Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ulf-G Gerdtham
- Health Economics Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Economics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Helena Rydell
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
- Swedish Renal Registry, Department of Internal Medicine, Ryhov County Hospital, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn Lundgren
- Department of Clinical Science, Division of Transplantation Surgery, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), H9, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Jarl
- Health Economics Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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Li Q, Smith JP, Zhao Y. Understanding the Effects of Widowhood on Health in China: Mechanisms and Heterogeneity. JOURNAL OF THE ECONOMICS OF AGEING 2023; 25:100458. [PMID: 37389325 PMCID: PMC10306321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2023.100458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of widowhood on the health of mid-aged and older individuals in China using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data. Our results show that widowhood significantly increases the risk of depression, chronic diseases, and body pain while reducing cognitive function, sleeping time, and daily activity functions. The effects on depression and daily functions are immediate, that on chronic diseases is lagged, and the effects on cognitive function and sleeping hours persist over time. We find that rural widows are particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes due to their weaker economic positions, for whom widowhood leads to more grandchild care responsibility and corresponding workforce and social withdrawals. Moreover, rural widows' income loss is not compensated by children, either by co-residence or financial transfers, leading to reduced living standards. Overall, our findings suggest that China needs to strengthen economic security for older people, especially among rural women, in order to avoid significant negative consequences of widowhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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Katsiferis A, Bhatt S, Mortensen LH, Mishra S, Westendorp RGJ. Sex differences in health care expenditures and mortality after spousal bereavement: A register-based Danish cohort study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282892. [PMID: 36947502 PMCID: PMC10032540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spousal bereavement is a life event that affects older people differently. We investigated the impact of spousal bereavement on medical expenditures and mortality in the general population, emphasizing on age and sex. METHODS Data are from a population-based, retrospective cohort study following 924,958 Danish citizens over the age of 65 years, within 2011-2016. Changes in health care expenditures in those who suffer bereavement were compared with time matched changes among those who did not. Mortality hazards were analysed with time to event analysis. RESULTS A total of 77,722 (~8.4%) individuals experienced bereavement, 65.8% being females. Among males, bereavement was associated with increase of expenditures the year after, that was 42 Euros per week (95% CI, 36 to 48) larger than the non-bereaved group. The corresponding increase for females was 35 Euros per week (95% CI, 30 to 40). The increase of mortality hazards was highest in the first year after bereavement, higher in males than females, in young old and almost absent in the oldest old. Compared with the reference, mortality the year after spousal loss was 70% higher (HR 1.70 [95% CI 1.40 to 2.08]) for males aged 65-69 years and remained elevated for a period of six years. Mortality for females aged 65-69 years was 27% higher in the first year (HR 1.27, [1.07 to 1.52]), normalizing thereafter. CONCLUSION Bereavement affects older people differently with younger males being most frail with limited recovery potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Katsiferis
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Samir Bhatt
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laust Hvas Mortensen
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Swapnil Mishra
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rudi G J Westendorp
- Section for Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Dynamical indicators in time series of healthcare expenditures predict mortality risk of older adults following spousal bereavement. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:301. [PMID: 35395751 PMCID: PMC8991510 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-02992-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The process of aging renders older people susceptible for adverse outcomes upon stress. Various indicators derived from complex systems theory have been proposed for quantifying resilience in living organisms, including humans. We investigated the ability of system-based indicators in capturing the dynamics of resilience in humans who suffer the adversity of spousal bereavement and tested their predictive power in mortality as a finite health transition. METHODS Using longitudinal register data on weekly healthcare consumption of all Danish citizens over the age of 65 from January 1st, 2011, throughout December 31st, 2016, we performed statistical comparisons of the indicators 'average', 'slope', 'mean squared error', and 'lag-1 autocorrelation' one year before and after spousal bereavement, stratified for age and sex. The relation between levels of these indicators before bereavement and mortality hazards thereafter was determined by time to event analysis. We assessed the added value for mortality prediction via the time dependent area (AUC) under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS The study included 934,003 citizens of whom 51,890 experienced spousal bereavement and 2862 died in the first year thereafter. Healthcare consumption is increased, more volatile and accelerating with aging and in men compared to women (all p-values < 0.001). All dynamic indicators before bereavement were positively related with mortality hazards thereafter (all p-values < 0.001). The average discriminative performance for the 1-year mortality risk of the model with only age as a predictor (AUC: 68.9% and 70.2%) was significantly increased with the addition of dynamical indicators (78.5% and 82.4%) for males and females, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Dynamic indicators in time series of health care expenditures are strong predictors of mortality risk and could be part of predictive models for prognosis after life stressors, such as bereavement.
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Becker C, Taniyama Y, Kondo-Arita M, Sasaki N, Yamada S, Yamamoto K. Identifying bereaved grievers with greatest medical or social service needs in Japan. Fam Med Community Health 2022; 10:fmch-2021-001260. [PMID: 35296516 PMCID: PMC8928273 DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2021-001260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Severe grief adversely affects the health of bereaved families, potentially burdening medical and community health services. Interventions for effective community health maintenance must identify the people likely to face severe effects of bereavement. The present study identified characteristics of mourners who experience severe grief within a year of bereavement to confirm whether this grief increased their reliance on Japanese medical and social services. Design We conducted a nationwide postal survey of Japanese bereaved within the previous year, to compare those reporting daily or overwhelming ‘heavy’ grief to those with less heavy grief, in terms of demographic and socioeconomic details, daily work and non-work activity, frequency of medical and social service use. Setting/participants In 2019, with the support of the Ministry of Education and the All Japan Funeral Co-Operation, we distributed approximately 5500 questionnaires to Japanese who had presided at funerals within the past year for anonymous return. By January of 2020, we received 1078 complete voluntary responses from bereaved Japanese. Results Half of the ‘heavy grief’ group (n=143) reported adverse effects on health and daily life, including needs for pharmacological, medical or welfare support. Losses of husbands or children were particularly connected to severe grief; ‘unexpected’ death from cancer caused the greatest shock. Employment (even part-time) buffered against severe grief; grief was greater for the unemployed and substantially worse for those who lost significant income at the same time as they lost loved ones. Conclusion These findings suggest that prior counselling should reduce the shock of bereavement and economic loss, which increases subsequent medical dependence. Medical professionals and community health workers can use the above factors to target in advance the family members in greatest danger of heavy grief, to intervene lest grief adversely affect their physical and psychological health after bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Becker
- Policy Science Unit, School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yozo Taniyama
- Department of Religious Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Noriko Sasaki
- Department of Healthcare Economics and Quality Management, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamada
- Department of Ethnology, National Museum of Japanese History, Sakura, Japan
| | - Kayoko Yamamoto
- Department of Nursing, Tenri Health Care University, Tenri, Japan
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Hillebrandt MA. Impact of changes in relationship status on smoking behavior and body weight. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 44:101077. [PMID: 34844097 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines whether and how changes in relationship status (i.e., cohabitation, marriage, separation, or divorce) affect individuals' smoking behavior and body weight. Using German Socio-Economic Panel data, this study accounts for differences between treated (i.e., those affected by a specific family event) and untreated participants since treatment and control groups differ with respect to several characteristics such as age, which may bias the results. Therefore, regression-adjusted matching is employed for each family event separately. This study, thus, takes steps towards disentangling causality from correlation. Overall, changes in family composition (such as moving together with or separating from the partner) impact the probability to start or quit smoking and lead to changes in body weight. In particular, smoking behavior and body weight are predominantly affected by forming or dissolving a household, rather than by marriage or divorce: cohabitation leads to weight gain; separation from a partner leads to weight loss, increased smoking initiation, and decreased smoking cessation.
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Peña-Longobardo LM, Rodríguez-Sánchez B, Oliva-Moreno J. The impact of widowhood on wellbeing, health, and care use: A longitudinal analysis across Europe. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2021; 43:101049. [PMID: 34371339 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate whether becoming widowed had a significant effect on individual's health status as well as on healthcare and non-healthcare resources use, compared to people who remained in a couple in Europe. DATA AND METHOD It was used the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe from 2004 to 2015. The statistical technique used was genetic matching which analysed the differences in wellbeing, mental health, health status, risk of death, health care resources and long-term care utilization of people who have become widowed, comparing with people who remained married or with a partner. We considered shortterm and medium-term effects. RESULTS In the short term, those who became widowed had a worse wellbeing and mental health, in addition to a greater probability of receiving formal care and informal care from outside the household. There seems to be a significant effect in the use of formal and informal care from outside the household in the medium term. CONCLUSIONS The results might help to concentrate a major effort of any policy or strategy, not only in the field of health but also in the provision of long-term care, immediately after the negative shock occurs.
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Zhao Y, Inder B, Kim JS. Spousal bereavement and the cognitive health of older adults in the US: New insights on channels, single items, and subjective evidence. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2021; 43:101055. [PMID: 34530393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study provides novel insights into older adults' cognitive functioning before and after widowhood onset and possible effect channels. It further examines gender heterogeneity in the adaptation to (anticipated or actual) spousal bereavement, comparing objective evidence with subjective evidence of cognitive abilities. We used longitudinal data of up to 26,584 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, aged over 50 at recruitment, assessed biennially between 1998 and 2016. Two-way fixed effects with dynamic treatment effects were estimated for various cognitive measures, including six aggregated indices and six single item scales. After adjusting for effect channels including depression, social vulnerability, and stress, there remained significant widowhood effects on older adults' cognitive health. Using single item scales, we established the adverse contemporaneous and adaptation effects on bereaved older females' short-term memory, semantic memory, and numeracy. For bereaved older males, working memory and focus-of-attention deteriorated after widowhood onset. Meanwhile, subjective memory rating remained intact, contrary to objective evidence. We conclude that cognitive transitions to and from widowhood can exhibit distinctive patterns across objective and subjective cognitive domains. With the effect channels in mind, cognitive intervention for widowed older adults should be tailored to the temporal distance to spousal loss, gender, and task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuejun Zhao
- Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Brett Inder
- Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Monash University, Australia.
| | - Jun Sung Kim
- Department of Economics, College of Politics and Economics, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
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Williams J, Shorter GW, Howlett N, Zakrzewski-Fruer J, Chater AM. Can Physical Activity Support Grief Outcomes in Individuals Who Have Been Bereaved? A Systematic Review. SPORTS MEDICINE-OPEN 2021; 7:26. [PMID: 33830368 PMCID: PMC8028581 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-021-00311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Background In 2018, there were 616,014 registered deaths in the United Kingdom (UK). Grief is a natural consequence. Many mental health concerns, which can be identified as grief outcomes (e.g. anxiety and depression) in those who have experienced a bereavement, can be improved through physical activity. The objective of this review was to identify from the existing literature if physical activity can benefit grief outcomes in individuals who have been bereaved. Methods A systematic review of nine databases was performed. Included studies (qualitative and quantitative) explored physical activity to help individuals (of any age) who had experienced a human bereavement (excluding national loss). Results From 1299 studies screened, 25 met the inclusion criteria, detailing eight types of bereavement (parental (n = 5), spousal (n = 6), patient (n = 4), pre-natal (n = 3), later life (n = 1), caregiver (n = 1), multiple (n = 4) and non-defined (n = 1). Activities including yoga, running, walking and martial arts were noted as beneficial. Physical activity allowed a sense of freedom, to express emotions, provided a distraction and an escape from grief, whilst enhancing social support. Conclusion There is some evidence that physical activity may provide benefit for the physical health and psychological wellbeing of those who have been bereaved, including when the loss has happened at a young age. This review is timely, given the wide-scale national loss of life due to COVID-19 and extends knowledge in this area. More research is needed to explore the benefits of physical activity for those who have been bereaved. In particular, there is a need for well-designed interventions which are tailored to specific activities, populations and grief outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Williams
- Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research, Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, MK41 9EA, UK
| | - Gillian W Shorter
- Centre for Improving Health Related Quality of Life, School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7NN, UK
| | - Neil Howlett
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Julia Zakrzewski-Fruer
- Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research, Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, MK41 9EA, UK
| | - Angel M Chater
- Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research, Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, MK41 9EA, UK.
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Becker CB, Taniyama Y, Kondo-Arita M, Sasaki N, Yamada S, Yamamoto K. Unexplored Costs of Bereavement Grief in Japan: Patterns of Increased Use of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Financial Services. OMEGA-JOURNAL OF DEATH AND DYING 2021; 83:142-156. [PMID: 33530889 PMCID: PMC7983339 DOI: 10.1177/0030222821992193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bereaved families may experience psychological and physical problems increasing their reliance on medical, pharmaceutical, and financial/legal services. Our Japan-wide survey (n = 1078) researched bereaved who showed increased reliance on medical, pharmaceutical, and financial/legal services. Increased use was most evident in the ‘50’s age bracket, and for unemployed widows; it corresponded less with low annual income than with high income declining significantly after bereavement. Increased users showed higher psychological and physical symptoms of grief, and reported their decline in physical health seriously influencing their work and lives, suggesting “presenteeism”—reduced productivity for those continuing to work. Increased users spent 2.7 times more for medical and pharmaceutical services than those reporting continual use, portending 4 to 10 times more Japanese government expense for this group, half of whom considered their own out-of-pocket expenses a financial burden. These findings warrant further research on cost-effectiveness of interventions to reduce declining health of the bereaved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yozo Taniyama
- Department of Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | | | - Noriko Sasaki
- Department of Healthcare Economics and Quality Management, Kyoto University School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamada
- Religious Anthropology, National Museum of Japanese History, Sakura City, Japan
| | - Kayoko Yamamoto
- Medical Education Research Center, Tenri Health Care University, Tenri City, Japan
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Atalay K, Staneva A. The effect of bereavement on cognitive functioning among elderly people: Evidence from Australia. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2020; 39:100932. [PMID: 33152583 PMCID: PMC7572370 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores the effects of experiencing the death of a spouse, relative or close friend on cognitive functioning of Australian elderly. Using rich longitudinal data, we show that experiencing a loss is associated with a modest decline in cognitive function. Our results show that on average the effects are more pronounced for males and the strongest effects are associated with the loss of the spouse or a close friend. These events have significant effects on working memory and speed of information processing. We show that the decrease in cognitive functioning is accompanied by decreases in engagement in cognitive activities and declines in socialization. Our results are suggestive that programmes to support grieving individuals, including support for socialization activities, and extending active aging programmes could be important for promoting successful cognitive aging for the growing population of older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kadir Atalay
- School of Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Anita Staneva
- Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Griffith University, Australia
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14
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Everding J, Marcus J. The effect of unemployment on the smoking behavior of couples. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2020; 29:154-170. [PMID: 31820539 DOI: 10.1002/hec.3961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Although unemployment likely entails various externalities, research examining its spillover effects on spouses is scarce. This is the first paper to estimate effects of unemployment on the smoking behavior of both spouses. Using German Socio-Economic Panel data, we combine matching and difference-in-differences estimation, employing the post-double-selection method for control variable selection via Lasso regressions. One spouse's unemployment increases both spouses' smoking probability and intensity. Smoking relapses and decreased smoking cessation drive the effects. Effects are stronger if the partner already smokes and if the male partner becomes unemployed. Of several mechanisms discussed, we identify smoking to cope with stress as relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Everding
- Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Marcus
- Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Education and Family Department, DIW Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Ennis J, Majid U. "Death from a broken heart": A systematic review of the relationship between spousal bereavement and physical and physiological health outcomes. DEATH STUDIES 2019; 45:538-551. [PMID: 31535594 DOI: 10.1080/07481187.2019.1661884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The loss of a loved one is often associated with "death from a broken heart" for the survivor, and there is evidence that shows that widowers and widows are at risk for higher morbidity and mortality than the general population. This systematic review will summarize the physical and physiological health outcomes of spousal bereavement. A systematic database search was conducted, and 38 studies were analyzed. The majority of studies found a statistically significant and positive association between spousal bereavement and adverse physical and physiological health outcomes such as inflammation, cardiovascular risk, chronic pain, and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Ennis
- Ennis Centre for Pain Management, Hamilton, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Umair Majid
- Ennis Centre for Pain Management, Hamilton, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of Clinical Decision-Making and Healthcare, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
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