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Published on: October 23, 2020
Widowhood and mortality: a meta-analysis and meta-regression
Eran Shor1, David J Roelfs, Misty Curreli
1Department of Sociology, McGill University, Room 713, Leacock Building, 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T7, Canada. ershor@gmail.com
Demography
|March 20, 2012
Summary
Widowers face a higher mortality risk compared to married individuals. This risk is influenced by factors like age, gender, and geographic region, highlighting the complex impact of spousal bereavement.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Epidemiology
- Demography
Background:
- Spousal bereavement and mortality is a significant area of research for social scientists.
- Key moderating factors such as age, follow-up duration, and geographic region require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a meta-analysis examining moderating factors in spousal bereavement and mortality risk.
- To quantify the mortality risk associated with widowhood and identify influencing variables.
Main Methods:
- Extensive literature searches of electronic databases and hand searches.
- Meta-analysis of 1,377 mortality risk estimates from 123 publications, encompassing over 500 million individuals.
- Extraction and analysis of hazard ratios (HR) adjusted for covariates.
Main Results:
- Widowers exhibited a mean hazard ratio (HR) of 1.23 (95% CI, 1.19-1.28) compared to married individuals.
- Mortality risk was higher for men (HR, 1.27) than for women (HR, 1.15).
- Significant interactions were observed between gender and age, with risk decreasing more rapidly for men as age increased. Study quality, sample size, region, and statistical adjustments also predicted HR magnitude.
Conclusions:
- Spousal bereavement significantly increases mortality risk, with variations observed based on gender and age.
- Factors such as geographic region, study quality, and statistical methodology influence the magnitude of this risk.
- Further research should explore these moderating factors to better understand and mitigate the health consequences of widowhood.
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