Widowhood and self-rated health among Chinese elders: the effect of economic condition.
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.
Krochalk
Pamela C
PC
Division of Health Sciences, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California, USA. Pkrochalk@csudh.edu
Li
Yawen
Y
Chi
Iris
I
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011336:Probability; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D017805:Widowhood / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data