The association of marital status and hospice use in the USA.
BACKGROUND
Married individuals are more likely to use hospice than unmarried individuals. We examine this association and how it is influenced by gender.


METHODS
Medicare beneficiaries dying of cancer were studied.


RESULTS
Currently married (OR 1.36 95% C.I. 1.28-1.45) or ever married (OR 1.23 95% C.I. 1.16-1.31) subjects were more likely to use hospice than never married subjects. A significant interaction between marital status and gender (P < .001) was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Subjects likely to enroll in hospice are subjects likely to have greater supportive relationships.
Lackan
Nuha A
NA
Sealy Center on Aging, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA. nalackan@utmb.edu
Ostir
Glenn V
GV
Kuo
Yong-Fang
YF
Freeman
Jean L
JL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States