Short- and long-term associations between widowhood and mortality in the United States: longitudinal analyses

Background Past research shows that spousal death results in elevated mortality risk for the surviving spouse. However, most prior studies have inadequately controlled for socioeconomic status (SES), and it is unclear whether this ‘widowhood effect ’ persists over time. Methods Health and Retirement Study participants aged 50þ years and married in 1998 (n 12 316) were followed through 2008 for widowhood status and mortality (2912 deaths). Discrete-time survival analysis was used to compare mortality for the widowed versus the married. Results Odds of mortality during the first 3 months post-widowhood were significantly higher than in the continuously married (odds ratio (OR