Marital Status and Quality of End-of-Life Experiences Among Older US Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Mahmoud Kafayat, Carr Deborah, Onge Jarron
Primary Institution: Boston University
Hypothesis
How does marital status affect end-of-life physical and emotional well-being and quality of care?
Conclusion
Marital status influences end-of-life experiences, with widowed and remarried individuals reporting better care than married individuals.
Supporting Evidence
- Married persons do not fare uniformly better than their unmarried counterparts.
- Widowed and remarried persons have a higher likelihood of reporting excellent or very good care.
- Widowed older adults are more likely to report receiving care concordant with their preferences.
- Divorced older adults report poorer pain management.
- Remarried and never married older adults report less sadness relative to married persons.
Takeaway
Being married can affect how well older people feel at the end of their lives, but sometimes widowed or remarried people feel better cared for than those who are married.
Methodology
The study used 13 waves of data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and applied multivariable multinomial and binomial logistic regression models.
Participant Demographics
Older US adults with varying marital statuses.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website