Bereavement among African American and White older adults.
OBJECTIVE
The authors examined epidemiology and sociodemographic predictors of spousal, non-spousal family, and friendship bereavement among African American and White community-dwelling older adults using longitudinal data from 839 participants of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging, a prospective cohort study of a random sample of Alabama Medicare beneficiaries.


METHODS
Authors calculated cumulative incidences of each type of loss and used logistic regression to identify factors significantly and independently associated with loss.


RESULTS
Of participants, 71% reported at least one loss; 50% reported non-spousal family loss, and 37% reported friendship loss. For married participants, the cumulative incidence of spousal loss was 8.1%. Female sex and income < $12,000 were predictors of spousal loss. Female sex and education >/= 12 years were predictors of friendship loss. Higher educated African American women were at greater risk of non-spousal family loss.


CONCLUSIONS
Future research should examine bereavement burden and identify health outcomes of multiple losses.
Williams
Beverly Rosa
BR
Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Birmingham VA Medical Center, 700 South 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35233, and University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. beverly.williams3@va.gov
Sawyer Baker
Patricia
P
Allman
Richard M
RM
Roseman
Jeffrey M
JM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000407:Alabama; D001601:Bereavement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D017805:Widowhood