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Sottmann L, Schmeling A. Philemon and Baucis death: a literature review. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:1011-1021. [PMID: 37981585 PMCID: PMC11003922 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03126-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Double death, i.e., two bodies at a scene, is relatively rare. The double death from natural causes of two close persons is called Philemon and Baucis death in the medicolegal literature. Despite being mentioned for the first time more than 50 years ago, all detailed case reports on this case constellation are from the last 15 years. A comprehensive review of the literature on this phenomenon has not yet been published. In this article, we review the available literature on Philemon and Baucis death. Pathophysiologically, it can be assumed that this phenomenon is a sub-form of so-called psychogenic death. Therefore, we equally review the literature on sudden cardiac death due to acute psychological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Sottmann
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
| | - Andreas Schmeling
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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2
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Hossain B, James KS. Widowhood status, morbidity, and mortality in India: evidence from a follow-up survey. J Biosoc Sci 2024; 56:574-589. [PMID: 37881942 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932023000226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
A known health effect of widowhood is an increased mortality risk among surviving spouses, with gender- and age-specific observations. While morbidity conditions with socio-economic factors may exacerbate the effect of widowhood on mortality, no research has attempted to predict mortality among the widowed over the married population with the presence of morbidity in India. Thus, the present study concurrently examines marital status and health in the Indian setting, bringing substantial empirical evidence to explore the link between marital status, morbidity, and mortality. The study used prospective data from India Human Development Survey (IHDS) wave 1 (2004-2005) and wave 2 (2011-2012). In total, 82,607 individuals aged 25 years and above were considered for the analysis. To present the preliminary findings, descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used. Using multivariable logistic regression, the interaction effect of marital status and morbidity status was estimated to predict the likelihood of mortality. Across all socio-economic groups, widowed individuals reporting any morbidity had a higher mortality proportion than married people. Young widowers with any morbidity are more susceptible to increased mortality. Asthma among young widowers and cardiovascular diseases among elderly widowers significantly elevate the probability of mortality. However, older widowed women with diabetes had a lower probability of mortality than older married women with diabetes. The widowers' disadvantage in mortality and morbidity may be attributable to less care-receiving and the greater incidence of unhealthy lifestyle practices during the post-widowhood period, indicating the need for more research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babul Hossain
- International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India
| | - K S James
- International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India
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Duan J, Wang M, Sam NB, Tian Q, Zheng T, Chen Y, Deng X, Liu Y. The development and validation of a nomogram-based risk prediction model for mortality among older adults. SSM Popul Health 2024; 25:101605. [PMID: 38292049 PMCID: PMC10825771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101605] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This research aims to construct and authenticate a comprehensive predictive model for all-cause mortality, based on a multifaceted array of risk factors. Methods The derivation cohort for this study was the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), while the Healthy Ageing and Biomarkers Cohort Study (HABCS) and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were used as validation cohorts. Risk factors were filtered using lasso regression, and predictive factors were determined using net reclassification improvement. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to establish the mortality risk prediction equations, and the model's fit was evaluated using a discrimination concordance index (C-index). To evaluate the internal consistency of discrimination and calibration, a 10x10 cross-validation technique was employed. Calibration plots were generated to compare predicted probabilities with observed probabilities. The prediction ability of the equations was demonstrated using nomogram. Results The CLHLS (mean age 88.08, n = 37074) recorded 28158 deaths (179683 person-years) throughout the course of an 8-20 year follow-up period. Additionally, there were 1384 deaths in the HABCS (mean age 86.74, n = 2552), and 1221 deaths in the CHARLS (mean age 72.48, n = 4794). The final all-cause mortality model incorporated demographic characteristics like age, sex, and current marital status, as well as functional status indicators including cognitive function and activities of daily living. Additionally, lifestyle factors like past smoking condition and leisure activities including housework, television viewing or radio listening, and gardening work were included. The C-index for the derivation cohort was 0.728 (95% CI: 0.724-0.732), while the external validation results for the CHARS and HABCS cohorts were 0.761 (95% CI: 0.749-0.773) and 0.713 (95% CI: 0.697-0.729), respectively. Conclusion This study introduces a reliable, validated, and acceptable mortality risk predictor for older adults in China. These predictive factors have potential applications in public health policy and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Duan
- Department of Medical Record Statistics, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - MingXia Wang
- Department of Stomatology, Luohu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Napoleon Bellua Sam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Qin Tian
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - TingTing Zheng
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Drug Addiction and Medication Safety, Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, Shenzhen-PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Drug Addiction and Medication Safety, Institute of Ultrasound Medicine, Shenzhen-PKU-HKUST Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - XiaoMei Deng
- Department of Comprehensive Ward, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Medical Record Statistics, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Wang SH, Wu H, Hsu LY, Lin MC, Fan CC, Chen PC, Hsu CC, Wu CS. Widowhood and mortality risk in Taiwan: a population-based matched cohort study. Int J Epidemiol 2024; 53:dyae034. [PMID: 38553032 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyae034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying the causes of death among deceased spouses and surviving partners may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of the association between widowhood and mortality. This study investigated the mortality risk of widowhood in Taiwan, examined the association of the cause of death between widowed individuals and their deceased spouses and explored potential modifying effects by age, gender and duration after widowhood. METHODS This matched cohort study utilized Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database and National Death Registry. In total, 204 010 widowed men and 596 136 widowed women were identified with a mean follow-up period of 6.9 and 7.9 years, respectively, and 816 040 comparison men and 2 384 544 comparison women were selected. RESULTS Widowhood was associated with an increased mortality risk, with widowed men having a 1.32 increased risk and widowed women having a 1.27 increased risk. Age at spousal death and duration modified the associations after widowhood. The widowed individuals are more likely to die by the same cause as the deceased spouse if they died by suicide, accident, endocrine, gastrointestinal disorders or infection. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that healthcare policies and interventions should be developed to improve widowed individuals' health and overall welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Heng Wang
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Huijing Wu
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Le-Yin Hsu
- Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Program of Data Science, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Chen Lin
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chieh Fan
- Center for Population Neuroscience and Genetics, Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pei-Chun Chen
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Cheng Hsu
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Shin Wu
- National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
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Wang W, Dearman A, Bao Y, Kumari M. Partnership status and positive DNA methylation age acceleration across the adult lifespan in the UK. SSM Popul Health 2023; 24:101551. [PMID: 38034479 PMCID: PMC10682041 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Although a significant body of research has shown that married people are healthier and live longer, empirical research on sex differences in the link between marital status and health suggests results are mixed. Moreover, the sex disparities in marital status and health relationships vary across adulthood. The literature on partnership status and measures of ageing is largely focused on older age groups and is limited in its view of early adulthood. Data from waves 2 and 3 (2010-2012) of Understanding Society: UKHLS were used to examine the association of current partnership status with epigenetic age acceleration (AA) assessed with DNA methylation (DNAm) algorithms 'Phenoage' and ' DunedinPACE ' in 3492 participants (aged 16-97). Regression models were estimated separately for men and women, and further stratified by age groups. Divorced/separated and widowed people showed positive age acceleration compared to the married/cohabiting people (reference group). Some sex differences were apparent, especially, among the single and divorced/separated groups. Age differences were also apparent, for example in men, being single was negatively associated with DNAmAA in the youngest group, but positively in the oldest group compared to partnered counterparts. These findings illustrate the importance of partnerships on the ageing process, in particular marital change through divorce and widowhood for positive age acceleration in adults. For single groups, observations were heterogenous by age and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wang
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Anna Dearman
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Yanchun Bao
- Department of Mathematics, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, UK
| | - Meena Kumari
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, UK
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Meng L, Xu J, Li J, Hu J, Xu H, Wu D, Hu X, Zeng X, Zhang Q, Li J, Gong T, Liu D. Self-reported prevalence and potential factors influencing cardio-cerebral vascular disease among the Chinese elderly: A national cross-sectional study. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:979015. [PMID: 36337863 PMCID: PMC9630358 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.979015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aging is an essential national condition throughout China in the 21st century. Cardio-cerebral vascular disease (CCVD) is a common chronic vascular disease in the elderly. Despite aging becoming an increasingly pressing issue, there has been no comprehensive national investigation into the risk factors, prevalence, and management of CCVD among the elderly population in China. MATERIALS AND METHODS Through the 4th Survey of the Aged Population in Urban and Rural China (SSAPUR), a nationally representative sample of 224,142 adults aged more than 60 years was surveyed using a multistage, stratified sampling method. The 4th SSAPUR was used to investigate CCVD in the elderly. Univariate and multivariate logistic proportional regression analyses explored the risk factors. These risk factors were then entered into a multivariate linear regression model to identify independent predictive factors for CCVD. Disease management was assessed from the self-reported history of physician diagnosis, treatments, and hospital visits among individuals with CCVD. RESULTS After excluding samples with missing information, 215,041 individuals were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of CCVD was 26%. Living in a rural area, being older, being female, having low literacy, smoking, getting little sleep, losing a spouse, being single, not getting enough exercise, having a bad financial situation, and not taking part in public welfare programs were the main risk factors for CCVD among the elderly in China (P < 0.05). In the multivariate linear regression model, holding all other variables at any fixed value, CCVD remained associated with "urban and rural" (β = 0.012, P < 0.001), "age" (β = -0.003, P < 0.001), "sex" (β = -0.022, P < 0.001), "education level" (β = -0.017, P < 0.001), "marriage" (β = 0.004, P = 0.047), "smoking" (β = 0.012, P = 0.003), "drinking" (β = -0.015, P = 0.001), and "sleep" (β = 0.008, P = 0.005). There were no collinearity problems among these factors. CONCLUSION Major risk factors for prevalent CCVD among the elderly in China include the following: rural residence, female, low literacy level, poor sleep quality, bereavement, non-marriage, living alone, lack of exercise, poor financial situation, and non-participation in public welfare activities. Chinese national policies for preventing, controlling, and managing risk factors for CCVD in the elderly must be urgently developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingbing Meng
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiapei Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Peking University Fifth School of Clinical Medicine (Beijing Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jianyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiabin Hu
- Health Service Department of the Guard Bureau of the Joint Staff Department, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxuan Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dishan Wu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Hu
- Health Service Department of the Guard Bureau of the Joint Staff Department, Beijing, China
| | - Xuezhai Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Juan Li
- Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Gong
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Deping Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Hsiao YH, Lee MC, Yeh CJ, Tai CJ, Lee SS. Social Participation and Survival in Widowed Persons: Results of the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010974. [PMID: 34682721 PMCID: PMC8535271 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
It has been considered that widowed persons have a higher risk of death. This study intended to explore whether social participation could improve this trend. A longitudinal study database was constructed to explore the trend of survival and its change with social participation in widowed persons. The Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), based on four consecutive waves of longitudinal follow-up data in 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 was linked with the National Death Registry from 1999 through 2012. In total, there were 1417 widowed persons and 4500 nonwidowed persons included in this study, excluding divorced and never-married people. The survival trend analysis was carried out with social participation as the main predictive factor stratified for comparative analysis. Our results showed that the widowed were older than the nonwidowed, were female-dominant, had a lower education level, were more economically stressed, and were less likely to engage in regular exercise, and thus showed generally poorer health; for example, being more vulnerable to having chronic diseases, disability with the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), cognitive impairment with the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and depression with The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D). The death risk of the widowed was significantly higher than that of the nonwidowed, but the death trend for those with social participation was significantly lower than that of their counterparts in both the widowed and nonwidowed. After matching with gender and age for widowed persons, the widowed with social participation had a significantly lower risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71–0.98) compared to the widowed without social participation. It was concluded that social participation can improve the death risk for the widowed, and it is worthily included in health promotion plans and social welfare services for widowed persons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Hsiao
- Department of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan; (Y.-H.H.); (C.-J.Y.)
- Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung 40343, Taiwan;
| | - Meng-Chih Lee
- Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung 40343, Taiwan;
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli 35053, Taiwan
- College of Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung 41331, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Jung Yeh
- Department of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan; (Y.-H.H.); (C.-J.Y.)
| | - Chi-Jung Tai
- Department of Family Medicine, Pingtung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Pingtung 90054, Taiwan
- Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (C.-J.T.); (S.-S.L.)
| | - Shiuan-Shinn Lee
- Department of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan; (Y.-H.H.); (C.-J.Y.)
- Correspondence: (C.-J.T.); (S.-S.L.)
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Effects of divorce and widowhood on subsequent health behaviours and outcomes in a sample of middle-aged and older Australian adults. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15237. [PMID: 34341364 PMCID: PMC8328969 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93210-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Marital disruption is a common life event with potential health implications. We examined the prospective association of divorce/widowhood with subsequent lifestyles, psychological, and overall health outcomes within short and longer terms using three waves of data from the 45 and Up Study in Australia (T1, 2006–09; T2, 2010; T3, 2012–16). Marital status and health-related outcomes were self-reported using validated questionnaires. Nine outcomes were examined including lifestyles (smoking, drinking, diet and physical activity), psychological outcomes (distress, anxiety and depression) and overall health/quality of life. Logistic regression was adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and baseline health outcomes. Of the 33,184 participants who were married at T1 (mean age 59.5 ± 9.3 years), after 3.4 years, 2.9% became divorced and 2.4% widowed at T2. Recent divorce was positively associated with smoking, poor quality of life, high psychological distress, anxiety and depression at T2. Similar but weaker associations were observed for widowhood. However, these associations were much attenuated at T3 (5 years from T2). Marital disruption in midlife or at an older age can be detrimental to health, particularly psychological health in the short term. Public awareness of the health consequences of spousal loss should be raised. Resources, including professional support, should be allocated to help individuals navigate these difficult life transitions.
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Association between Personal Social Capital and Loneliness among Widowed Older People. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17165799. [PMID: 32796586 PMCID: PMC7460522 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17165799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To explore the association between the personal social capital and loneliness among the widowed older adults in China. Data from 1497 widowed older adults were extracted from China’s Health-Related Quality of Life Survey for Older Adults 2018. The Chinese version of the Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS-16) was used to evaluate the participants’ status of bonding and bridging social capital (BOC and BRC). Loneliness was assessed by the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8). Multiple linear regression models were established to examine the relationship between social capital and loneliness. The BOC and BRC of rural widowed older people were significantly lower than those of widowed older people in urban areas, while loneliness of rural widowed older people was higher than that of widowed older people in urban areas. The result of the final model showed that loneliness of rural participants was significantly associated with both BOC (B = 0.141, p = 0.001) and BRC (B = −0.116, p = 0.003). The loneliness of the urban widowed sample had no association with both BOC and BRC (p > 0.05). These findings suggested that more social support and compassionate care should be provided to enrich the personal social capital and thus to reduce loneliness of widowed older adults, especially those in rural areas.
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Abstract
AIMS Widowed people have increased mortality compared to married people of the same age. Although most widowed people are of older age, few studies include the oldest old. As life expectancy is increasing, knowledge of widowhood into older age is needed. This study aimed to examine mortality and widowhood in older age by comparing mortality in widowed and married people by sex, age, time since spousal loss and cause of death. METHODS A Danish register-based matched cohort study of 10% of widowed persons ⩾65 years in the years 2000-2009. For each randomly drawn widowed person, five married persons were matched on sex and age. Mortality rate ratios (MRR) were calculated using Poisson regression, and stratified according to sex and 5-year age intervals. MRRs were furthermore calculated by time since spousal loss and by specific cause of death. RESULTS The study included 82 130 persons contributing with 642 914.8 person-years. The overall MRR between widowed and married persons with up to 16 years of follow-up was 1.25 (95% CI 1.23-1.28). At age ⩾95 years for men, and ⩾90 years for women, no differences in mortality rates were seen between widowed and married persons. Mortality in widowed persons was increased for most specific causes of death, with the highest MRR from external causes (MRR 1.53 [1.35-1.74]) and endocrine diseases (MRR 1.51 [1.34-1.70]). CONCLUSIONS Widowhood was associated with increased mortality in older age for both men and women until age ⩾95 and ⩾90 years, respectively. Increased mortality was observed for almost all causes of death.
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Wilson SJ, Padin AC, Bailey BE, Laskowski B, Andridge R, Malarkey WB, Kiecolt- Glaser JK. Spousal bereavement after dementia caregiving: A turning point for immune health. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 118:104717. [PMID: 32485342 PMCID: PMC7849822 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Losing a spouse can increase the risk for premature mortality, and declines in immune health are thought to play a role. Most of the supporting data have come from cross-sectional studies comparing already-bereaved individuals to matched controls, which provides valuable information about health disparities between groups but does not reveal health changes over time. Moreover, the health consequences of bereavement may be unique for dementia family caregivers, a large and growing segment of the population. The current study sought to evaluate the course of health around 52 dementia spousal caregivers' bereavement by capturing lymphocyte proliferation to Con A and PHA and self-rated health before and after spousal loss. To investigate the moderating role of the social environment, we examined associations between social ties and health trajectories before and after spousal loss. Using piecewise linear mixed models to allow for turning points in caregivers' trajectories, we found that, for the average caregiver, lymphocyte proliferation to both mitogens weakened as bereavement neared and continued to decline after the loss, but at a slower pace. In tandem, perceived health degraded as bereavement approached but rebounded thereafter. Further, we found that socially isolated caregivers showed marked declines in immune responses to Con A and PHA over time both before and after bereavement, whereas their socially connected counterparts had shallower declines to PHA and maintained a level immune response to Con A. In addition, socially isolated caregivers reported poorer health before and after bereavement compared to their counterparts, whose self-rated health declined as the loss neared but later recovered to exceed prior levels. These findings shed new light on the dynamics of immune function in response to spousal bereavement after dementia caregiving: longitudinal data reveal a pattern of health recovery following caregivers' loss, particularly among those with more robust social networks prior to bereavement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Avelina C. Padin
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University
| | | | - Bryon Laskowski
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - Rebecca Andridge
- College of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, The Ohio State University
| | - William B. Malarkey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
| | - Janice K. Kiecolt- Glaser
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, The Ohio State University College of Medicine,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
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12
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Song H, Larsson H, Fang F, Almqvist C, Pedersen NL, Magnusson PKE, Valdimarsdóttir UA. Risk of psychiatric disorders among the surviving twins after a co-twin loss. eLife 2020; 9:e56860. [PMID: 32660693 PMCID: PMC7360364 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Losing a co-twin by death is a severely stressful event yet with unknown impact on the surviving twin's risk of psychiatric disorders. We identified all Swedish-born twins who lost a co-twin by death between 1973 and 2013 (n = 4,528), their 4939 non-twin full siblings, together with 22,640 age- and sex-matched non-bereaved twins. Compared to the non-bereaved twins, exposed twins were at increased risk of receiving a first diagnosis of psychiatric disorders (hazard ratio = 1.65, 95% confidence interval1.48-1.83), particularly during the first month after loss. Similarly, compared to non-twin full siblings, the relative risks were significantly increased after loss of monozygotic co-twin (2.45-fold), and loss of a dizygotic co-twin (1.29-fold), with higher HR observed with greater age gaps between twins and non-twin siblings. As dizygotic twins share equal genetic relatedness to the deceased twin as their full siblings, this pattern suggests that beyond the contribution of genetic factors, shared early life experiences and attachment contribute to the risk of psychiatric disorders among surviving twins after co-twin loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Song
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of IcelandReykjavíkIceland
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Henrik Larsson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro UniversityÖrebroSweden
| | - Fang Fang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Catarina Almqvist
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
| | - Nancy L Pedersen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Patrik KE Magnusson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Unnur A Valdimarsdóttir
- Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of IcelandReykjavíkIceland
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public HealthBostonUnited States
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Vala CH, Lorentzon M, Sundh V, Johansson H, Lewerin C, Sten S, Karlsson M, Ohlsson C, Johansson B, Kanis JA, Mellström D. Increased risk for hip fracture after death of a spouse-further support for bereavement frailty? Osteoporos Int 2020; 31:485-492. [PMID: 31832693 PMCID: PMC7075824 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-019-05242-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Death of a spouse is associated with poorer physical and mental health. We followed all married individuals, born from 1902 to 1942, during the period from 1987 to 2002, and found that widows and widowers had higher risk for hip fracture, compared with still married women and men. INTRODUCTION Spousal bereavement can lead to poorer physical and mental health. We aimed to determine whether married women and men had an elevated risk of hip fracture after death of a spouse. METHODS In a retrospective cohort study, we followed all Swedish married individuals aged 60 to 100 years (n = 1,783,035), from 1987 to 2002. Data are presented as mean with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS During the follow-up period, 21,305 hip fractures among widows and 6538 hip fractures among widowers were noted. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in widows compared with married women was 1.34 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.37) and for widowers compared with married men 1.32 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.35). The HR for hip fracture in the first 6 months after death of a spouse was in widows compared with married women 1.62 (95% CI 1.53 to 1.71) and in widowers compared with married men 1.84 (95% CI 1.68 to 2.03). The elevated risk was especially prominent in young widowers in the age range 60-69 years. During the first 6 months they showed a HR of 2.76 (95% CI 1.66 to 4.58) for a hip fractvure compared with age matched married men. Widows aged 60-69 years showed a HR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.99) compared with age matched married women. CONCLUSION Our observation of a higher hip fracture risk in both genders in connection with the death of a spouse indicates a possible effect of bereavement on frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- C H Vala
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden.
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden.
| | - M Lorentzon
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - V Sundh
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - H Johansson
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - C Lewerin
- Section of Haematology and Coagulation, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - S Sten
- Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University-Campus Gotland, 621 57, Visby, Sweden
| | - M Karlsson
- Department of Orthopedics and Clinical Sciences, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02, Malmö, Sweden
| | - C Ohlsson
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research (CBAR), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - B Johansson
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - J A Kanis
- Mary McKillop Health Institute, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Metabolic Bone Disease, Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - D Mellström
- Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Göteborg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Geriatric Medicine Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Center for Bone and Arthritis Research (CBAR), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1216:29-38. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-33330-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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15
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Widowhood and mortality risk of older people in rural China: do gender and living arrangement make a difference? AGEING & SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/s0144686x19000436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIncreased mortality after spousal bereavement has been observed in many populations. Few studies have investigated the widowhood effect in a traditional culture where the economy is underdeveloped. The reasons for the widowhood effect and its gender dynamic are not well understood. In this study, we assessed whether the widowhood-associated excess mortality exists and differs by gender and living arrangement in rural China. We used a six-wave panel of data derived from rural people over 60 years old in the Chaohu region of China. Cox regression analyses suggest that there was a positive effect of spousal loss on mortality for older rural Chinese and this effect was gender different. Our findings also suggest that living with adult children after spousal loss played a protective role in reducing the risk of older men's death, though it tended to increase older men's mortality risk in general.
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Einiö E, Martikainen P. Risk of Hospitalization for Cancer, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Injuries, or Poisonings Surrounding Widowhood. Am J Epidemiol 2019; 188:110-118. [PMID: 30137200 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwy184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychological distress has been indicated to affect the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and external causes. Mortality from these major causes of death is also known to be elevated after widowhood when distress is at a heightened level. Surprisingly little is known about changes in health other than mental and cardiac health shortly before widowhood. We used longitudinal data on widowed (n = 19,185) and continuously married (n = 105,939) individuals in Finland (1996-2002) to assess the risk of hospitalization for cancer and for external and musculoskeletal causes surrounding widowhood or random dates. We fitted population-averaged logit models using longitudinal data of older adults aged 65 years or over. The results show that hospitalization for injuries had already increased prior to widowhood and clearly peaked after it. The increases were largely related to falls. A similar increasing pattern of findings was not found around a random date for a group of continuously married individuals. Hospitalizations for cancer and musculoskeletal disorders appeared to be unrelated to the process of widowhood. Hospitalizations for poisonings increased after widowhood. The results imply that the process of widowhood is multifaceted and that various types of health changes should be studied separately and before the actual loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Einiö
- Population Research Unit, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Population Health, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Population Research Unit, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Laboratory of Population Health, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Wu SG, Lin QJ, Li FY, Sun JY, He ZY, Zhou J. Widowed status increases the risk of death in vulvar cancer. Future Oncol 2018; 14:2589-2598. [PMID: 29742925 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2018-0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effect of marital status on survival of patients with vulvar cancer. Materials & methods: A total of 4001 patients with vulvar cancer were included from the SEER database. Statistical analyses were performed using χ2 test, Kaplan–Meier method, Cox regression proportional hazards and a 1:1 propensity score-matching. Results: The 8-year vulvar cancer-related survival in married, divorced, single and widowed patients were 78.6, 82.2, 78.9 and 61.6%, respectively (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, widows patients had significantly worse vulvar cancer survival than the nonwidowed counterparts in unmatched and matched populations. Conclusion: Being widowed is associated with greater risk of vulvar cancer mortality than the nonwidowed counterparts.
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Affiliation(s)
- San-Gang Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Xiamen Cancer Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, PR China
| | - Qing-Jiang Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, PR China
| | - Feng-Yan Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Jia-Yuan Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Zhen-Yu He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou 510060, PR China
| | - Juan Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, PR China
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Widowhood Status as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline among Older Adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018; 26:778-787. [PMID: 29748078 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study investigated whether widowhood status has an effect on cognitive decline among older adults in the United States. DESIGN Longitudinal analysis of existing secondary data. SETTING The 1996-2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. PARTICIPANTS A total of 6,766 individuals (28,420 observations) aged 50 years and older who responded to all questions. MEASUREMENTS Widow/widower status, cognitive functioning score, and various covariates. RESULTS Growth-curve models show that after controlling for covariates, widowhood status was related to cognitive decline (95% CI: -0.8090, -0.4674). We also found a linear relationship between time since spousal loss and cognitive decline. Conditional upon spousal bereavement status, higher education and having at least one living sibling were found to be protective factors against cognitive decline. CONCLUSIONS Widowhood status accelerated cognitive decline over time among widowed older adults. Findings suggest that extra support is needed to monitor cognitive functioning for those experiencing widowhood.
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