I want to move, but cannot: characteristics of involuntary stayers and associations with health among Canadian seniors.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of seniors in the Canadian population who are involuntary stayers and to assess associations with health.


METHODS
Data come from the 1994 Canadian National Population Health Survey, with the sample restricted to those 65 and older (N = 2,551).


RESULTS
Nearly 1 in 10 seniors identified as an involuntary stayer. Seniors with few socioeconomic resources, poor health, greater need for assistance, and low social involvement were more likely to identify as an involuntary stayer. Furthermore, seniors who were involuntary stayers report significantly more distress and greater odds of low self-rated health than other seniors.


CONCLUSIONS
This study brings into visibility an understudied segment of the elderly population: seniors who are unable to move from their present location despite their desire to do so. Further research and policy responses assisting seniors to age in a setting of their own choosing are needed.
Department of Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. lisa.strohschein@ualberta.ca
Lisa
L
Strohschein
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological