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European Journal of Ageing

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01.12.2006 | Original Investigation

Marital disruptions and loss of support in later life: a longitudinal study of the United Kingdom

verfasst von: Karen Glaser, Cecilia Tomassini, Filomena Racioppi, Rachel Stuchbury

Erschienen in: European Journal of Ageing | Ausgabe 4/2006

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Abstract

Marital disruption (i.e. due to death, divorce or separation) at older ages is an important issue as it removes the usual primary source of help and support: a husband or wife. To date, few studies have investigated the support implications (both informal, here defined as perceived support and social embeddedness and formal, defined as use of domiciliary care services) of marital disruptions in later life. This issue needs addressing as widow(er)hood and divorce are increasingly occurring at older ages. Employing data from the longitudinal British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) (1991–2003) we investigated the association between marital disruption and first loss of (a) perceived support and (b) at least weekly contact with at least one non-relative friend, among those aged 50 and over. We also examined first use of domiciliary care services (i.e. health visitor or district nurse, home help or meals-on-wheels) among those aged 70 and over. Our findings show that marital separation increased the odds of losing perceived support whereas widow(er)hood showed no significant association among people aged 50 and over. Separation and widow(er)hood increased the odds of losing weekly contact with non-relative friends (although the odds were greater for separation) in this age group. Finally, widow(er)hood increased the odds of using domiciliary care services among respondents aged 70 and over.

In Wave One, every resident of a sampled household became a permanent (‘Original’) sample member. These individuals are followed; in each subsequent wave, every new person in their household becomes a Temporary Sample Member and (if aged 16+) is interviewed, but Temporary Sample Members are not followed when they cease to coreside with an Original Sample Member.

i.e. those who had not died, emigrated or moved permanently into an institution.

The wording is intended to convey that this is a question about biological children only. In UK English to ‘have’ a child (for a woman) implies childbirth; for men, to ‘father’ a child implies impregnation.

Respondents who gave full fertility histories (the great majority) were asked for each child whether s/he was still alive. However there was no way of identifying deaths of children subsequent to this, and therefore the number of living children is likely to represent a slight overestimate.

This category includes respondents who may have some further education but did not achieve an educational qualification.

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Titel: Marital disruptions and loss of support in later life: a longitudinal study of the United Kingdom
verfasst von: Karen Glaser
Cecilia Tomassini
Filomena Racioppi
Rachel Stuchbury
Publikationsdatum: 01.12.2006
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Erschienen in: European Journal of Ageing / Ausgabe 4/2006
Print ISSN: 1613-9372
Elektronische ISSN: 1613-9380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-006-0036-y

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Acknowledgement