Late-Life Bereavement: Association between Familial Death and Weight Loss among Elderly in the United States

MERCAN M. A., Barlin H., CEBECİ A. F.

Omega (United States), cilt.74, sa.1, ss.3-15, 2016 (SSCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 74 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2016
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1177/0030222816649082
  • Dergi Adı: Omega (United States)
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.3-15
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: obesity, United States, widowhood
  • İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Healthy aging is critical for the elderly to be independent and enjoy at least a satisfactory quality of life. However, late-life bereavement threatens healthy aging, as it may lead to adverse health effects. Using data from the Health and Retirement Survey, this study investigates the relationship between weight - specifically, body mass index (BMI) - and the loss of a parent, sibling, or spouse at an older age. It is the first attempt to investigate this relationship among the elderly population in the United States and makes the following notable contributions to the literature: (a) use of a large longitudinal dataset, (b) estimation of the effects of a familial death on a person's BMI, and (c) investigation of the consequences of the bereavement for older people. Our results suggest that losing a family member at an older age results in a decrease in BMI.