Citation

Zueras P, Rutigliano R, Trias-Llimós S. Int. J. Public Health 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00038-020-01371-w

PMID

32350551

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We study the role of marital status and living arrangements in mortality among a 50+ population living in Europe by gender and welfare states.

METHODS: Using data from waves 4, 5, and 6 of the Survey of Health Age and Retirement in Europe (n = 54,171), we implemented Cox proportional hazard models by gender and age groups (50-64 and 65-84). We estimated pooled models and separated models for two regions representing different welfare states (South-East and North-West).

RESULTS: Among people aged 50-64, nonpartnered individuals (except never-married women) showed a higher mortality risk as compared with those partnered. Among the older population (65-84), divorce was associated with higher mortality among men, but not among women, and living with someone other than a partner was associated with higher mortality risk as compared to those partnered. In the South-East region living with a partner at ages 50-64 was associated with lower mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Partnership and residential status are complementary for understanding the role of family dimensions in mortality. The presence of a partner is mortality protective, especially among 50-64-year-old men in South-East Europe.

Language: en

Keywords

Europe; Family systems; Living arrangements; Marital status; Mortality differences; Partnership status; Welfare states