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Widowhood and self‐rated health among Chinese elders: The effect of economic condition
Author(s) -
Krochalk Pamela C,
Li Yawen,
Chi Iris
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2007.00269.x
Subject(s) - gerontology , path analysis (statistics) , self rated health , sample (material) , psychology , china , work (physics) , demography , medicine , geography , sociology , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , archaeology , chromatography , mechanical engineering , engineering
Objective: To examine the mediating effect of economic condition (income, work status, self‐rated financial situation and financial support) on widowhood and self‐rated health in elderly Chinese.Methods: The study sample consists of 17 556 married and widowed elders age 60 and older selected from the nationwide 2000 Sample Survey on Aged Population in Urban/Rural China. Path analysis is used to identify the direct and indirect relationships of economic condition between widowhood and self‐rated health.Results: Widowhood has a direct effect on self‐rated health for those widowed for more than 4 years. Work status and perceived financial situation mediate that relationship regardless of length of time widowed. Being older, male, less educated, and functionally healthy are associated with better self‐rated health among those widowed.Conclusions: Work status and perceived financial situation have a more significant effect on widowhood and self‐rated health than income and financial support. The findings have cross‐cultural implications for developing elder care programs.