Mortality risk by living arrangements for the elderly Belgian population

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Poulain ◽  
Luc Dal ◽  
Anne Herm
Keyword(s):  
Gender Gap ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Personnes Âgées ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Belgian Population ◽  
And Gender

RésuméObjectifs : Le risque de décéder aux âges élevés est associé avec l’état matrimonial, mais également avec la situation de ménage de la personne considérée (avec qui une personne vit). Cette étude analyse comment l’association entre situation de ménage et risque de décéder varie en fonction de l’âge et du sexe. Données et méthodes : Nous utilisons des données extraites du Registre national belge concernant la situation de ménage de plus de 3 millions de personnes âgées de 60 ans et plus, ob-servées du 1er janvier 1991 au 31 décembre 2010. Tout d’abord nous calculons et comparons les probabilités annuelles de décéder pour les personnes selon les différentes situations de ménage. Ensuite nous construisons des tables de mortalité mul-ti-états en utilisant les probabilités annuelles de transition entre différentes situations de ménage et ce, afin de reconstituer les trajectoires de situation de ménage. Résultats : Nos résultats confirment l’effet protectif associé au fait de vivre en couple marié, mais ils montrent également que vivre seul aux âges plus élevés devient favo-rable à la survie. Un croisement apparaît entre les risques de décéder de ceux vivant seuls et ceux vivant avec d’autres personnes, mais pas avec leur conjoint. Toutefois de fortes différences ressortent selon le sexe. Enfin vivre en ménage collectif est largement défavorable pour la survie par comparaison à tous les types de ménages privés et ce, pour les deux sexes. Discussion : La façon dont le risque de décéder varie selon la situation de ménage est différente selon le sexe et diminue avec l’âge de fa-çon relative. Parmi d’autres explications, le rôle sélectif de l’état de santé est majeur, tout comme le soutien du conjoint qui est, dans la plupart des cas, le premier donneur de soin. Selon cette perspective, la différence d’espérance de vie en santé entre hommes et femmes et la différence d’âges entre conjoints pourraient contribuer à expliquer les différences du risque de décéder selon la situation de ménage entre les hommes et les femmes. Nos résultats sont importants dans le cadre des politiques sociales relatives aux personnes âgées et plus particulièrement pour l’évaluation des besoins futurs de nos populations vieillissantes.AbstractObjectives: Mortality risk in old age is associated with both marital status and living arrangements (with whom a person is living). This study analyses how the association between living arrangements and mortality risk varies by age and gender. Data and methods: We use a dataset extracted from the Belgian national register for the population aged 60 years and over, from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2010, that includes more than three million persons and describes their living arrangements. First we compute and compare single-year probabilities of death for each living arrangement. Then, in order to recompose the living arrangement trajectories, we construct multistate life tables using annual probabilities of the transitions between successive living arrangements. Results: Our results confirm the protective effect of living with a spouse, and also show that at older ages living alone becomes advantageous. A crossover occurs in the mortality risks of those living alone and those living with others (not with a spouse), but large differences appear between the genders. Institutional living arrangements are largely detrimental for survival compared with private living arrangements for both genders. Discussion: The variation of mortality risk by living arrangements is gender-specific and decreases by age in relative terms. Among possible explanations, the selective role of health is paramount, as well as the presence of a spouse, who is the primary caregiver in most cases. According to this perspective, the gender gap in healthy life expectancy and the age difference between spouses contribute to explaining the gender differences. Our findings are highly relevant to social policies and the social discourse pertaining to the future needs of the elderly within the context of population ageing.

scholarly journals Living alone vs. living with someone as a predictor of mortality after a bone fracture in older age

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1697-1705
Author(s):  
Kaisa Koivunen ◽  
Elina Sillanpää ◽  
Mikaela von Bonsdorff ◽  
Ritva Sakari ◽  
Katja Pynnönen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis ◽  
Health Decline ◽  
Fracture Time ◽  
Incidence And Mortality

Abstract Background Living alone is a risk factor for health decline in old age, especially when facing adverse events increasing vulnerability. Aim We examined whether living alone is associated with higher post-fracture mortality risk. Methods Participants were 190 men and 409 women aged 75 or 80 years at baseline. Subsequent fracture incidence and mortality were followed up for 15 years. Extended Cox regression analysis was used to compare the associations between living arrangements and mortality risk during the first post-fracture year and during the non-fracture time. All participants contributed to the non-fracture state until a fracture occurred or until death/end of follow-up if they did not sustain a fracture. Participants who sustained a fracture during the follow-up returned to the non-fracture state 1 year after the fracture unless they died or were censored due to end of follow-up. Results Altogether, 22% of men and 40% of women sustained a fracture. During the first post-fracture year, mortality risk was over threefold compared to non-fracture time but did not differ by living arrangement. In women, living alone was associated with lower mortality risk during non-fracture time, but the association attenuated after adjustment for self-rated health. In men, living alone was associated with increased mortality risk during non-fracture time, although not significantly. Conclusion The results suggest that living alone is not associated with pronounced mortality risk after a fracture compared to living with someone.

Patterns of living arrangements of the elderly in mainland China

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiehua Lu ◽  
Yun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthy Longevity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes and consequences of the patterns of Chinese elderly population’s living arrangements. It contains information that can be considered for future policy making for the elderly and to gain a better understanding of the social transition in China. Design/methodology/approach Based on the analysis of the population census data in 2000 and 2010, the authors examined the changes and trends of the living arrangements of the elderly Chinese population. Furthermore, the authors analyzed factors influencing the Chinese elderly’s living arrangements according to the data acquired from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Findings First, the proportion of the elderly people living with children has been decreasing. Second, the proportions of elderly people “living alone” and “living with spouse independently” has largely increased. Third, the changes and trends showed differences between urban and rural regions. Originality/value By looking at the characteristics among elderly people with different living arrangement patterns, those that are “living alone” are typically in disadvantaged conditions, and thus special attention should be paid with regards to related research and policies for the elderly who are “living alone.”

Living arrangements and marital status: a register-based study of survival of older adults in Belgium at the beginning of the 21st century

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 2141-2162 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNE HERM ◽  
JON ANSON ◽  
MICHEL POULAIN
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
And Gender

ABSTRACTBeing married reduces the mortality risk of older persons. More generally, living arrangements that include co-residence with a source of support and a close care-giver are associated with a lower mortality risk. We build a detailed typology of private and collective living arrangements, including marital status, and check its association with mortality risks, controlling for health status. Using administrative data from the population register, we identify the living arrangement of all individuals aged 65 years and over living in Belgium as at 1 January 2002, and their survival during the year 2002. Data on health status are extracted from the 2001 census. We use binary logistic regression with the probability to die as outcome and living arrangement, health, age and gender as covariates. Our results show that mortality is more closely associated with actual living arrangements than with marital status. This association is age and gender-specific and remains even at very old ages. Living with a spouse is confirmed to be beneficial for survival but in older age living alone becomes more favourable. Of all living arrangements, older persons living in religious communities experience the lowest mortality risk whereas those living in nursing homes experience the highest risk.

Living arrangements, coresidence preference, and mortality risk among older Taiwanese

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-204
Author(s):  
Wen-Shan Yang ◽  
Yao-Chi Shih ◽  
Yang-Tzu Li
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mortality Risks ◽  
Elderly Health

Purpose Although coresidence with children when one becomes old is an ideal in Chinese society, the drastic socio-economic development in Taiwan has brought some fundamental changes to living arrangements of the elderly population. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between family living arrangements and elderly health in Taiwan, given the secular trend of more elderly persons choosing to live with their spouse or to live independently. Design/methodology/approach The authors utilized panel data from the “1989 Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan” with follow-ups up to 2007 to examine how living arrangements of the elderly affect the risk of mortality using discrete-time hazard models. The authors stratified the analyses by the elderly’s preference to coreside with children, and examined whether the effects of living arrangement varied by age, controlling for sociodemographics, health status, health behaviors, and social relationships observed at the baseline. Findings The authors found that both the associations of living arrangements and coresidence preference with that mortality risk were largely weakened when controlling for other variables. Only among respondents expressing preference for coresidence were living arrangements associated with mortality risks, and these effects increased with age. For those who did not intend to live with children, the authors found no evidence suggesting living arrangements were associated with mortality risks. The dynamics of living arrangements among the elderly and elderly care policies in Taiwan are discussed for further research. Originality/value To the authors knowledge, no previous research has examined living arrangements and mortality risks with respect to coresidence preference.

Educational Differences in Self-Rated Health Trends Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Living Alone, 1972–2018

2022 ◽  
pp. 089826432110527
Author(s):  
Esther O. Lamidi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Educational Differences ◽  
Middle Aged Adults

Objectives: This study examines educational differences in living alone and in self-rated health trends among middle-aged and older adults. Methods: We used logistic regression to analyze data from the 1972–2018 National Health Interview Survey ( n = 795,239 aged 40–64; n = 357,974 aged 65–84). Results: Between 1972–1974 and 2015–2018, living alone became more prevalent, particularly among men and at lower levels of education. Self-rated health trends varied by living arrangement and education. We found self-rated health declines among middle-aged adults having no college degree and living alone, but trends in self-rated health were mostly stable or even improved among middle-aged adults living with others. Among older adults, self-rated health improved over time, but for the least-educated older Americans living alone, the probability of reporting fair or poor health increased between 1972–1974 and 2015–2018. Discussion: The findings suggest growing disparities by social class, in living arrangements and in self-rated health.

Living Arrangement Preferences of Elderly People in Taiwan as Affected by Family Resources and Social Participation

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Jong Chen ◽  
Ching-Yi Chen
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
Large Family ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Family Resources

This article investigates living arrangement preferences of elderly people in Taiwan, including coresidence with family (their children or spouse), coresidence with spouse only, living alone, and living in an institution. The authors consider the effects of three factors: the elderly persons’ health situation, their family resources, and their social participation, such as community workshops or political activities. Accordingly, the authors propose empirical logit models based on the well-developed discrete choice theory. Empirical results reveal that (1) elderly people with higher socioeconomic status, prefer either independent living arrangements or coresidence with their children, (2) elderly people with more family resources, such as large family size, prefer to coreside with their children, and (3) elderly people with adequate social support and/or contact networks prefer independent living arrangements.

Age and Gender Differences in Body Attitudes: A Comparison of Young and Elderly Adults

1998 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen L. Franzoi ◽  
Virginia Koehler
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Elderly Adults ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Body Attitudes ◽  
And Gender

One hundred and thirty-two young adults (Mean = 19 years) and 142 elderly adults (Mean = 74 years) evaluated thirty-five different aspects of their own bodies. As hypothesized, elderly adults expressed less positive attitudes than young adults toward body items associated with body functioning (physical coordination, agility, sex drive, health). These differences are consistent with research indicating a progressive decline in bodily function efficiency with advancing age (Christofalo, 1988; Lakatta, 1990). Also as expected, the elderly held less positive attitudes toward body aspects associated with facial attractiveness (lips, appearance of eyes, cheek/cheekbones). These differences are in line with the structural changes that occur in the face as people age, moving them further from cultural beauty standards. One area where these age differences were reversed was in women's attitudes toward weight-related body items: elderly women expressed greater satisfaction than young women toward their appetite, thighs, and weight. The cause of this age difference in women may be due to thinness being a more defining standard of attractiveness for young women, or it could be due to the fact that people typically lose weight after the age of fifty, thus making weight gain less of a concern for older women. Results further indicated that, although men have more positive body attitudes than women, this gender difference is not nearly as pronounced among the elderly.

scholarly journals Living Alone Among Older Adults in Canada and the U.S.

Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon M. Lee ◽  
Barry Edmonston
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Design And Technology ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Older Immigrants ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Acculturation Factors

Increasing proportions of people, including older adults, live alone. Studying living arrangements of the elderly is important because these affect and reflect general well-being of the elderly and inform communities’ response to elderly housing needs. We analyze data from the 2006 Canadian Census and the 2006 American Community Survey to examine living alone among non-married older adults aged 55 and older in Canada and the U.S. The paper has two parts. First, we compare native- and foreign-born elderly to see if immigrants are less likely to live alone. Second, we examine factors associated with living alone among older immigrants. While older immigrants in both countries are less likely to live alone, the large differences are substantially reduced once various explanatory variables are considered. Comparisons of four gender/country groups of older immigrants show the positive role of economic and acculturation factors on living alone among older immigrants. With few exceptions, predictors of living alone are similar for older immigrants in Canada and the U.S.: living alone is mainly explained by a combination of economic and acculturation factors, taking demographic variables into account. Findings underline the need for age-friendly housing with innovative design and technology that can accommodate older people who live alone, including older immigrants who may have different needs and cultural preferences.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Incidence of Dementia Among Senior Citizens of a Small Town in Japan

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asuna Arai ◽  
Yuriko Katsumata ◽  
Keita Konno ◽  
Hiko Tamashiro
Keyword(s):  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Presumptive Diagnosis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Dementia is one of the common causes that lead to dependence of senior citizens in daily living. Clarifying the features of the elderly with dementia is instrumental in planning for their effective care and support in a community, and for attempts at prevention. Our purpose was to investigate the impact of sociodemographic factors among the elderly with the presumptive diagnosis of dementia. We carried out a survey annually from 1998 to 2002 in a dynamic cohort of community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years or older. Of the 945 subjects, 782 were eligible for study because at the first interview they were asymptomatic for dementia and not institutionalized. We found no significant difference in a 5-year average incidence rate between genders. However, the risk of developing dementia increased with age. The study population was categorized into three groups of living arrangement: those living with spouse and others, those living alone, and those living with persons other than the spouse. The incidence rate of dementia among the elderly who lived with spouse and others was significantly lower than for those among the other groups. This was also notable in the subjects without a history of stroke, even after adjustment for age and gender. This result indicates that living with spouse might have an important benefit in reducing the risk of developing dementia, although this effect would vary with the type of dementing disease. We suggest that preventive measures in clinical and community care of the elderly should focus on interactive social conditions such as living environments.

scholarly journals Projection of Living Arrangements of the Elderly in Japan Using INAHSIM

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Tetsuo Fukawa
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Simulation Model ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Social System ◽  
Living Arrangement ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Profound Impact ◽  
Social Burden ◽  
The Social ◽  
Micro Simulation

By using a dynamic micro-simulation model named INAHSIM, we conducted a population-household projection inJapan for the period of 2015 to 2070. Due to rapid aging of the population, the distribution of the elderly (65 yearsold or older) by living arrangements has a profound impact on the social system. Especially, the choice of the elderlyamong a) living in one-person households, b) co-residing with child households, and c) living in institutions, arecrucial indicators for the future social burden of the elderly in Japan. In this paper, we projected the number andproportion of the elderly by living arrangement in future years. Trends of those elderly who have little relatives,therefore having high risk of dying in solitude, were also featured.

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