title: The role of partnership status on late-life physical function.
abstract: This study examined the socioeconomic pathways linking partnership status to physical functioning, assessed using objective measures of late life physical functioning, including peak flow and grip strength. Using Wave 4 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we ran multilevel models to examine the relationship between partnership status and physical function in late life, adjusting for social-network characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and health behaviours. We found a robust relationship between partnership status and physical function. Incorporating social-network characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and health behaviours showed independent robust relationships with physical function. Co-variates attenuated the impact of cohabitation, separation, and widowhood on physical function; robust effects were found for singlehood and divorce. Sex-segregated analyses suggest that associations between cohabitation, singlehood, divorce, and widowhood were larger for men than for women. Results suggest that social ties are important to improved physical function.
authors.affiliation: Program in Public Health and Department of Preventive Medicine,Stony Brook University.
authors.forename: Sean A P
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Clouston
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Democratic Citizenship,McGill University,and Institute for Governmental Studies,University of California,Berkeley.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Carolina Population Center,University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Ashton M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Verdery
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017805:Widowhood / Q000706:statistics & numerical data