The feminization of bereavement among community-dwelling older adults

Journal of Women and Aging

Volumn 18, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 3-18

  Williams, Beverly Rosa ^a   Baker, Patricia Sawyer ^b   Allman, Richard M ^b   Roseman, Jeffrey M ^c  

^a BIRMINGHAM VA MEDICAL CENTER   (United States)

^b University of Alabama at Birmingham   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM   (United States)

Author keywords

Bereavement; Feminization; Older adults

Indexed keywords

AGED; ARTICLE; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BEREAVEMENT; COHORT ANALYSIS; FEMALE; HUMAN; LIFE EVENT; MALE; MENTAL STRESS; MIDDLE AGED; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; QUESTIONNAIRE; SEX DIFFERENCE; SOCIAL SUPPORT; SOCIOECONOMICS; SPOUSE; UNITED STATES; WIDOW;

AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; BEREAVEMENT; COHORT STUDIES; FEMALE; HUMANS; LIFE CHANGE EVENTS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; QUESTIONNAIRES; SEX FACTORS; SOCIAL SUPPORT; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; SPOUSES; STRESS, PSYCHOLOGICAL; UNITED STATES; WIDOWHOOD;

EID: 33749039185     PISSN: 08952841     EISSN: 15407322     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1300/J074v18n03_02     Document Type: Article

References (50)

1. Aartsen, M. J., Van Tilburg, T., Smits, C. H., Comijs, H. C., & Knipscheer, K. C. (2005). Does Widowhood affect memory performance of older persons? Psychological Medicine, 35, 217-226.
2. Alabama Rural Health Association, Health Status of Rural Alabamians, Montgomery, AL, 1998
3. Amin, S. H., Kuhle, C. L., & Fitzpatrick, L. A. (2003). comprehensive evaluation of the older woman. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 78, 1157-11185.
4. Aneshensel, C. S., Botticello, A. L., & Yamamoto-Mitani, N. (2004). When caregiving ends: the course of depressive symptoms after bereavement. Journal of Health & Social Behavior, 45, 422-440.
5. Arbuckle, N., & De Vries, B. (1995). The long term effects of late life spousal and parental bereavement on personal functioning. The Gerontologist, 35, 637-647.
6. Arias, E. (2002). United States life tables, 2002. National Vital Statistics Report, 10, 1-38.
7. Armstrong, J. M. (2000). Older women's organization of friendship support networks: An African American-White American comparison. Journal of Women & Aging, 12 (1/2), 93-108.
8. Barnes, L. L., Mendes de Leon, C. F., Bienias, J. L., & Evans, D. A. (2004). A longitudinal study of black-white differences in social resources. Journals of Gerontology B Psychological and Social Sciences, 59, S146-153.
9. Bennett, K. M. (2005). Psychological wellbeing in later life: the longitudinal effects ofmarriage, Widowhood and marital status change. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 20, 280-284.
10. Bierman, A. S. & Clancy, C. M. (2001). Health disparities among older women: Identifying opportunities to improve quality of care and functional health outcomes. Journal of American Medical Womens Association, 56, 155-159.
11. Boerner, K., Schulz, R., & Horowitz, A. (2004). Positive aspects of caregiving and adaptation to bereavement. Psychology and Aging, 19, 668-675.
12. Bourque, P., Pushkar, D., Bonneville, L., & Beland F. (2005). Contextual effects on life Satisfaction of older men and women. Canadian Journal on Aging, 24, 31-44.
13. Byles, J. E. Feldman, S., & Mishra, G. (1999). For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health: older widowed women's health, relationships, and financial security. Women Health, 29, 15-30
14. Chogahara, M., Cousins, S., & Wankel L. (1998). Social influences on physical activity in older adults: A review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 6, 1-17.
15. Chou K. L. & Chi, I. (2000). Stressful events and depressive symptoms among old women and Men: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 51, 275-293.
16. Demura, S. & Sato, S. (2003). Relationships between depression, lifestyle and quality of life in the community dwelling elderly: a comparison between gender and age groups. Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science, 22, 159-166.
17. D'Epinay, C. J. L., Cavalli, S., & Spini, D. (2003). The death of a loved one: Impact on health and relationships in very old age. Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying, 47, 265-284.
18. de Vries, B., Dalla Lana, R., & Flack, V. (1994). Parental bereavement over the life-course: A theoretical intersection and empirical review. Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying, 29, 47-69.
19. Heikkinen, R. L. & Kaupppinen, M. (2004). Depressive symptoms in late life: A 10-year follow-up. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 38, 239-250.
20. Hobbs, E. L. & Ralapati, A. N. (1998). Health of older women. Medical Clinics of North America, 82, 127-144.
21. Holmes, T. H. & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213-218.
22. Iverson, R. J. (2003). The silent crisis: Women and the need for long-term care insurance. Caring, 22 (Oct), 42-44.
23. Jagger C. & Matthews, F. (2002). Gender differences in life expectancy free of impairment at older ages. Journal of Women & Aging, 14, 85-87.
24. Krause, N. (2004). Stressors arising in highly valued roles, meaning in life, and the physical health status of older adults. Journals of Gerontology B Psychological and Social Sciences, 59, S287-297.
25. Laditka, J. N. & Laditka, S. B. (2003). Increased hospitalization risk for recently widowed older women and protective effects of social contacts. Journal of Women & Aging, 15, 7-28.
26. Lee, S., Cho, E., Grodstein, F., Kawachi, I., Hu, F. B., & Colditz, G. A. (2005). Effects of marital transitions on changes in dietary and other health behaviors in US women. International Journal of Epidemiology, 34, 69-78.
27. Manor, O. & Eisenbach, Z. (2003). Mortality after spousal loss? are there socio-demographic differences? Social Science and Medicine, 56, 405-413.
28. McCandless, N. J. & Conner, F. P. (1999). Older women and the health care system: A time for change. Journal of Women & Aging, 11, 13-27.
29. Miller, N. B., Smerglia, V. L., & Bouchet, N. (2004). Women's adjustment to widowhood: Does social support matter? Journal of Women & Aging, 16, 149-167.
30. Moss, M., Moss, S., & Hansson, R. (2001). Bereavement and old age. In M. S. Strobe, R. O. Hansson W., Strobe, & H. Schut (Eds.), Handbook of Bereavement in Research (pp. 241-260). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
31. Murtagh, K. N., & Hubert, H. B. (2004). Gender differences in physical disability among an elderly cohort. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1406-1411.
32. Peat, G., Thomas, E., Handy, J., & Croft, P. (2004). Social networks and pain interference with daily activities in middle and old age. Pain, 112, 397-405.
33. Pinquart, M. (2003). Loneliness in married, widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 20, 31-53.
34. Reinhardt, J. P., Boerner, K., & Benn, D. (2003). Predicting individual change in support over time among chronically impaired older adults. Psychology and Aging, 18, 770-779.
35. Sarto, G. E. (2004). The gender gap: new challenges in women's health. Fertility and Sterility, 81, 9-14.
36. Sherman, A., de Vries, B., & Lansford, J. (2000). Friendship in childhood and adulthood: Lessons across the life-span. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 51, 31-51.
37. Smith, D.&Hava T. (2000). Older Adults in the United States: March 1999. U. S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Series P20-532. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
38. Tabloski, P. A. (2004). Global Aging: Implications for women and women's health. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 33, 627-638.
39. Tannenbaum, C.B., Nasmith, M. D., & Mayo, N. (2003). Understanding older women's health care concerns: A qualitative study. Journal of Women & Aging, 15, 103-116.
40. Thompson, L. W., Gallagher-Thompson, D., Futterman, A., Gilewski, M. J., & Peterson, J. (1991). The effects of late-life spousal bereavement over a 30-month interval. Psychology and Aging, 6, 434-441.
41. Umezaki, K. K., Sokejima, S., Sekine, M., Naruse, Y., & Kagamimori, S. (2003). Lifestyle Differences between conjugal bereaved women and nonbereaved women in later life. Japanese Journal of Public Health, 50, 293-302.
42. Unger, J. B., Johnson, C. A., & Marks, G. (1997). Functional decline in the elderly: Evidence direct and stress-buffering protective effects of social interactions and physical activity. Annuals of Behavioral Medicine, 19, 152-160.
43. Utz, R. L., Carr, D., Nesse, R., & Wortman, C. B. (2002). The effect of widowhood on older adults' social participation: An evaluation of activity, disengagement, and continuitytheories. Gerontologist, 42, 522-533.
44. von Strauss, E., Aguero-Torres, H., Kareholt, I., Winblad, B., & Fratiglioni, L. (2003). Women are more disabled in basic activities of daily living than men only in very advanced ages: A study on disability, morbidity, and mortality form the Kungsholmen Project. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 56, 669-677.
45. Weitz, T., & Estes, C. L. (2001). Adding aging and gender to the women's health agenda. Journal of Women & Aging, 13, 3-20.
46. Wilcox, S., Evenson, K. R., Aragaki, A., Wassertheil-Smoller, S., Mouton, C. P., & Loevinger, B. L. (2003). The effects of widowhood on physical and mental health, health behaviors,and health outcomes: The Women's Health Initiative. Health Psychology, 22, 513-522.
47. Williams, B. R., Baker, P. S., & Allman, R. M. (2005). Nonspousal family loss among community-dwelling older adults. Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying, in press.
48. Wolf, D. A., Laditka, S. B., & Laditka, J. N. (2002). Patterns of active life among older women: Differences within and between groups. Journal of Women & Aging, 14, 9-26.
49. Young, H. M. & Cochrane, B. B. (2004). Healthy aging for older women. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 39, 131-143.
50. Zettel, L. A. & Rook, K. S. (2004). Substitution and compensation in the social networks of widowed women. Psychology and Aging, 19, 433-443.