White Americans are far more likely than their black counterparts to die soon after the death of a spouse, according to new research from Harvard University. The longitudinal study of 410,272 elderly American couples indicates that the "widowhood effect" -- the increased probability of death among new widows and widowers -- is large and enduring among white couples but undetectable among black couples, suggesting that blacks may somehow manage to extend marriage's well-documented health benefits into widowhood.

The results, by Harvard sociologists Felix Elwert and Nicholas A. Christakis, are published in the February issue of American Sociological Review, available March 1.

"The health effects of a spouse's death differ radically between blacks and whites," says Elwert, a doctoral student in sociology. "We found strong evidence of the widowhood effect among white couples: Men were 18 percent more likely to die shortly after their wives' deaths, and women were 16 percent more likely to die shortly after their husbands' deaths. By contrast, the estimated effect of a black spouse's death on the mortality of his or her surviving spouse is essentially zero."

Upon marrying, blacks and whites appear to receive the same health benefits, which previous research has attributed to factors such as emotional support, economic well-being, caretaking when ill, enhanced social support and kinship, and the promoting of healthy behaviors and discouraging of risk-taking. Elwert and Christakis suggest such benefits may be longer-lasting for blacks, persisting even after a spouse's death.

Citing prior research, the investigators identify several possible reasons for this enduring marriage benefit among blacks. Almost twice as likely to live with relatives and far more active in religious organizations, elderly blacks tend to have stronger and more extensive social networks than elderly whites. Black couples are also less likely than whites to adhere to a
'"/>

Contact: Steve Bradt
steve_bradt@harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University
1-Mar-2006

Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Obese girls less likely to attend college
2. Intensive-care patients with alcohol problems are more likely to require mechanical ventilation
3. Students with medical-related majors more likely to have poor quality sleep
4. College students who pull all-nighters and get no sleep more likely to have a lower GPA
5. Night shift nurses more likely to have poor sleep habits
6. Children with sleep disorder symptoms are more likely to have trouble academically
7. Rising skin cancer rates are more likely to affect wealthy people, says 12-year review
8. Better health twice as likely for nonsmokers who live and work with smoking restrictions
9. Study finds women less likely than men to have their cholesterol controlled
10. RAND study finds women with heart disease and diabetes less likely to receive proper care
11. Patients with bleeding strokes less likely to get prevention treatment