2003/09/01 by Sara Wilcox, Kelly R. Evenson, Aaron K. Aragaki +3 · 277 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · Medicine · #Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health #Health disparities and outcomes #Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving #Mental health #Observational study #Physical health #Gerontology #Psychological resilience #Social support #Medicine #Psychology #Psychiatry
paper · doi:10.1037/0278-6133.22.5.513
published in Health Psychology 22(5), 513-522 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 2003/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This study examined whether widowhood was associated with physical and mental health, health behaviors, and health outcomes using a cross-sectional (N=72,247) and prospective (N=55,724) design in women aged 50-79 years participating in the Women's Health Initiative observational study (85.4% White). At baseline, married women reported better physical and mental health and generally better health behaviors than widowed women. Whereas women who remained married over the 3-year period showed stability in mental health, recent widows experienced marked impairments and longer term widows showed stability or slight improvements. Both groups of widows reported more unintentional weight loss over the 3-year period. Changes in physical health and health behaviors were inconsistent, with generally small effect sizes. Findings underscore the resilience of older women and their capacity to reestablish connections, but point to the need for services that strengthen social support among women who have difficulty during this transition.