scholarly journals Physical Health Effects of the Housing Boom: Quasi-Experimental Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 1039-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amar Hamoudi ◽  
Jennifer Beam Dowd
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Housing Boom ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Retirement Study

scholarly journals Short-Term Mental Health Sequelae of Bereavement Predict Long-Term Physical Health Decline in Older Adults: U.S. Health and Retirement Study Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin W Domingue ◽  
Laramie Duncan ◽  
Amal Harrati ◽  
Daniel W Belsky
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Spousal Death ◽  
Health Decline ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives Spousal death is a common late-life event with health-related sequelae. Evidence linking poor mental health to disease suggests the hypothesis that poor mental health following death of a spouse could be a harbinger of physical health decline. Thus, identification of bereavement-related mental health symptoms could provide an opportunity for prevention. Methods We analyzed data from N = 39,162 individuals followed from 1994 to 2016 in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study; N = 5,061 were widowed during follow-up. We tested change in mental and physical health from prebereavement through the 5 years following spousal death. Results Bereaved spouses experienced an increase in depressive symptoms following their spouses’ deaths but the depressive shock attenuated within 1 year. Bereaved spouses experienced increases in disability, chronic-disease morbidity, and hospitalization, which grew in magnitude over time, especially among older respondents. Bereaved spouses were at increased risk of death compared to nonbereaved respondents. The magnitude of depressive symptoms in the immediate aftermath of spousal death predicted physical-health decline and mortality risk over 5 years of follow-up. Discussion Bereavement-related depressive symptoms indicate a risk for physical health decline and death in older adults. Screening for depressive symptoms in bereaved older adults may represent an opportunity for intervention to preserve healthy life span.

scholarly journals GRANDPARENTHOOD AND RISK OF MORTALITY: FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S627-S628
Author(s):  
Lea Ellwardt ◽  
Karsten Hank ◽  
Carlos F Mendes de Leon
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Health And Retirement Study ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Important Health ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽  
Survival Effect ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Grandparenthood is a significant social role for older adults and may have important health implications. Parenthood itself has been associated with some protective health effects, although findings have been mixed. Whether grandparenthood is associated with important long-term health effects such as mortality is largely unknown. This study examines the grandparenthood-mortality nexus, and whether it is modified by gender and education. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used, comprising twelve biennial follow-up waves from 1992 to 2014 with linked data on vital status derived from the National Death Index. Submodules assessed participants’ family structure during follow-up. The sample included 24,325 participants aged > 51 years with at least one child. Cox proportional hazard models were used to test the association between grandparenthood and mortality risk with adjustment for socio-demographic variables, for social variables including characteristics of and contact with children, and for health variables, including measures of overall, functional and mental health. Stratified models assessed these associations separately by gender and education. Grandparenthood was associated with a substantially increased mortality risk in women (fully adjusted HR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.27-21.14), and increased with larger number of grandchildren. No significant association was found for men (fully adjusted HR=1.25; 95% CI 0.97-1.62). Mortality risks associated with grandparenthood were highest among grandparents with low levels of education. The findings are among the first to suggest a potential grandparenthood survival “penalty”, especially for grandmothers. Higher levels of education appear to mitigate this negative survival effect among grandparents.

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