Mortality Trends by Marital Status in Elderly Norwegians
Author Information
Author(s): Berntsen Kjersti Norgård
Primary Institution: University of Oslo
Hypothesis
How have associations between marital status and causes of death changed for elderly Norwegians from 1971 to 2007?
Conclusion
Elderly non-married individuals in Norway have higher mortality rates compared to married individuals, and this disparity has increased over time.
Supporting Evidence
- Elderly non-married individuals have significantly higher mortality for most causes of death compared to married individuals.
- The odds of death are highest for divorced individuals, followed by never married and widowed individuals.
- Relative differences in mortality by marital status have increased from 1971 to 2007.
- The excess mortality among never married women has been rising significantly.
- Marital status differentials in mortality are most pronounced for circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases.
Takeaway
Being married can help people live longer, and over the years, the gap in death rates between married and non-married elderly people has grown.
Methodology
The study used discrete-time hazard regression and analyzed register data covering the entire Norwegian population.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to inaccuracies in cause of death reporting among the elderly, especially in non-married populations.
Limitations
The study did not control for all socioeconomic factors and lacked information on cohabitation status.
Participant Demographics
Elderly Norwegian men and women aged 75-89.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.938
Confidence Interval
(0.931-0.944)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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