Relationship of depression and loneliness with quality of life in rural widowed elderly women living alone. / å†œæ‘ä¸§å¶ç‹¬å± è€å¹´å¥³æ€§æŠ‘éƒã€å­¤ç‹¬æ„Ÿä¸Žç”Ÿæ´»è´¨é‡çš„å ³ç³».

OBJECTIVES: Rural widowed elderly women living alone may face higher risks of depression and loneliness than general elderly people, which will have an impact on their quality of life. This study aims to explore the correlation of depression and loneliness with quality of life among rural widowed elderly women living alone. METHODS: A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select 234 rural widowed older women living alone in Longshan county, Xiangxi autonomous prefecture, Hunan Province, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with the General Situation Questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale-8 (ULS-8), and the 36 Items Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS: The ages of 234 rural widowed older women living alone were (73.29±7.36) years. Among them, 103 (44.0%) women were detected as depressed, 114 (48.7%) were not lonely or mildly lonely, 111 (47.4%) were moderately lonely, and 9 (3.9%) were severely lonely. The total quality of life scores were 63.39±19.70. Depression and loneliness were negatively correlated with quality of life (all P<0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, multiple linear regression analysis showed that age, number of acute and chronic diseases, personal monthly income, depression, and loneliness independently impacted the quality of life among rural widowed older women (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Depression and loneliness can affect the quality of life of rural widowed older women living alone. In healthy aging efforts, the quality of life of these rural widowed older women can be improved by strengthening the management of underlying illnesses, increasing income, and alleviating depression and loneliness.

A sexualidade de mulheres mais velhas / The sexuality of older women

A população mundial tem vivido mais e deve manter uma boa saúde durante o processo de envelhecimento. Idosos expressam o desejo de preservar a vida sexual ativa, porém, mesmo com evidências de que o bem-estar sexual desempenha papel importante no sucesso dessa etapa de vida, os elementos facilitadores dessa condição têm sido pouco estudados. A diminuição e a interrupção dessa atividade entre as mulheres estão associadas à presença de disfunção erétil e/ou adoecimento do parceiro, entre outros fatores. Considerando a importância da satisfação sexual de mulheres em processo de envelhecimento, esse texto tem como objetivo discutir os elementos facilitadores dessa satisfação, na população idosa, visto que a manutenção da satisfação sexual é um forte preditor do envelhecimento saudável, assim como a atividade social e a saúde geral. Os estereótipos sociais, os preconceitos de familiares e pessoas com quem convivem, a falta de privacidade e a crença de que a viuvez encerra a vida sexual são algumas das barreiras à expressão do desejo sexual dessas mulheres. A maioria das mulheres mais velhas gostariam de permanecer sexualmente ativas, inclusive aquelas sem parceria. Por isso, os profissionais de saúde precisam estar conscientes da importância de novas referências sobre a sexualidade das mulheres em qualquer fase da vida. A diversidade de possibilidades de função e desempenho sexual ao longo do envelhecimento deve ser discutida para incentivá-las a serem sexualmente ativas e fortalecerem a resposta aos estímulos sexuais.

Effects of divorce and widowhood on subsequent health behaviours and outcomes in a sample of middle-aged and older Australian adults.

Marital disruption is a common life event with potential health implications. We examined the prospective association of divorce/widowhood with subsequent lifestyles, psychological, and overall health outcomes within short and longer terms using three waves of data from the 45 and Up Study in Australia (T1, 2006-09; T2, 2010; T3, 2012-16). Marital status and health-related outcomes were self-reported using validated questionnaires. Nine outcomes were examined including lifestyles (smoking, drinking, diet and physical activity), psychological outcomes (distress, anxiety and depression) and overall health/quality of life. Logistic regression was adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and baseline health outcomes. Of the 33,184 participants who were married at T1 (mean age 59.5 ± 9.3 years), after 3.4 years, 2.9% became divorced and 2.4% widowed at T2. Recent divorce was positively associated with smoking, poor quality of life, high psychological distress, anxiety and depression at T2. Similar but weaker associations were observed for widowhood. However, these associations were much attenuated at T3 (5 years from T2). Marital disruption in midlife or at an older age can be detrimental to health, particularly psychological health in the short term. Public awareness of the health consequences of spousal loss should be raised. Resources, including professional support, should be allocated to help individuals navigate these difficult life transitions.

Gender with marital status, cultural differences, and vulnerability to hypertension: Findings from the national survey for noncommunicable disease risk factors and mental health using WHO STEPS in Bhutan.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Thus, the early detection and prevention of hypertension is critical for reducing cardiovascular disease. However, the influence of sociocultural factors on vulnerability to hypertension needs further investigation. This study performed secondary data analysis on 1,909 individuals in a cross-sectional study (the National survey for noncommunicable disease risk factors and mental health using World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS approach in Bhutan- 2014). Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated a significant association between gender with marital status and hypertension. Women had a higher odds ratio than men (Ref) when married (AOR: 1.27, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.23-1.31), and when separated, divorced, or widowed (AOR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.12-1.26). People who speak the Tshanglakha language scored the highest odds (AOR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.20-1.27), followed by Lhotshamkha (AOR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.06-1.12) and Dzongkha (Ref) after adjusting for various social and biomedical factors. Additionally, tobacco use displayed decreased odds for hypertension. To promote the early detection and prevention of hypertension, these cultural factors should be considered even within small geographic areas, such as Bhutan. It is necessary to strengthen hypertension preventive strategies for people who speak Tshanglakha and Lhotshamkha. Furthermore, careful consideration should be given to preventing hypertension among adults aged 40 years or more, women who are married, separated, divorced, or widowed, and men who never married in Bhutan.

Complicated grief, unusual perceptual experiences, and hope in widowhood / Luto complicado, experiências perceptivas incomuns e esperança na viuvez / Duelo complicado, experiencias perceptuales inusuales y esperanza en la viudez

The overall objective of this study is to assess grief in religious widows and hope, and the frequency of unusual perceptual experiences after the death of the spouse. It is hypothesized that (H1) religious widows will experience a less complicated grief, (H2) a greater hope, and (H3) a higher frequency of unusual perceptual experiences than non-religious widows. Three instruments, the Complicated Grief Inventory, the Hope Scale, and the Hallucinations Questionnaire were administered to a sample consisting of religious widows and a control group (non-religious widows). The results showed that religious widows experienced less complicated grief than non-religious widows, and fewer feelings of pessimism about the death of the loved one. Religious widows who showed higher feelings of hope, compared to non-religious ones, tended to have fewer indicators of complicated grief. Furthermore, those religious widows who displayed feelings associated with remembering the deceased tended, for example, to hear voices and smell perfumes. It is possible that these occurrences may even be functional and adaptive in order to cope with the negative feelings of grief and loss, rather than resulting in a resource deficit mechanism for dealing with pain and hopelessness.

O objetivo geral deste estudo é avaliar o luto e a esperança em viúvas religiosas, e a frequência de experiências perceptivas incomuns após a morte do cônjuge. A hipótese é que (H1) viúvas religiosas experimentarão um luto menos complicado, (H2) mais esperança e (H3) maior frequência de experiências perceptivas incomuns do que viúvas não religiosas. Três instrumentos, o Inventário do Luto Complicado, a Escala de Esperança e o Questionário de Alucinações, foram administrados a uma amostra composta por viúvas religiosas e um grupo de controle (viúvas não religiosas). Os resultados mostraram que as viúvas religiosas experimentaram um luto menos complicado do que as viúvas não religiosas e menos sentimentos de pessimismo em relação à morte de um ente querido. As viúvas religiosas que mostraram maior senso de esperança, em comparação com as viúvas não religiosas, tendem a ter menos indicadores de luto complicado. Além disso, aquelas viúvas religiosas que demonstravam sentimentos associados à memória do falecido tendiam, por exemplo, a ouvir vozes e cheirar perfumes. É possível que essas ocorrências possam até ser funcionais e adaptativas para lidar com os sentimentos negativos de luto e perda, em vez de ser um mecanismo de déficit de recursos para lidar com a dor e a desesperança.

El objetivo general de este estudio es evaluar el duelo en viudas religiosas y la esperanza, y la frecuencia de experiencias perceptuales inusuales después de la muerte del cónyuge. Se hipotetiza que (H1) las viudas religiosas experimentarán menor grado de duelo complicado, (H2) mayor esperanza y (H3) mayor frecuencia de experiencias perceptuales inusuales que las viudas no religiosas. Se administraron tres instrumentos, el Inventario de Duelo Complicado, la Escala de Esperanza, y el Cuestionario de Alucinaciones a una muestra integrada por viudas religiosas y un grupo control (viudas no religiosas). Los resultados mostraron que las viudas religiosas experimentaban menos duelo complicado que las viudas no religiosas, y menos sentimientos de pesimismo en torno a la muerte del ser querido. Las viudas religiosas que mostraron mayor sentimiento de esperanza, en comparación con las no religiosas, tendieron a menos indicadores de duelo complicado. Además, aquellas viudas religiosas que mostraban sentimientos asociados al recuerdo del difunto tendían, por ejemplo, a oír voces y oler perfumes. Es posible que estas ocurrencias puedan incluso ser funcionales y adaptativas para afrontar los sentimientos negativos del duelo y la pérdida, en lugar de resultar un mecanismo de déficit de recursos para lidiar contra el dolor y la desesperanza.

Psychological symptoms in widowed parents with minor children, 2-4 years after the loss of a partner to cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore psychological symptoms in widowed parents with minor children, 2-4 years after the death of their partner. A second aim was to examine the associations between psychological symptoms and nonmodifiable and modifiable illness and healthcare-related factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study on widowed parents with minor children after the loss of a partner to cancer. In total, 42 parents completed an online questionnaire including instruments for assessing symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief rumination, prolonged grief, and posttraumatic stress. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficients, Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze differences in symptomology based on modifiable and nonmodifiable factors. RESULTS: Parents reported moderate-severe symptoms of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and depression. Reporting having received more information during the partner's illness regarding how the illness could affect the partner's somatic and psychological health and where to turn for support were associated with fewer psychological symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of widowed parents with minor children reported a moderate-severe symptom burden regarding depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress, and less so with prolonged grief symptoms. This study also highlighted the value of receiving information from healthcare personnel regarding the somatic and psychological effects of a partner's illness and where widowed parents can turn for support.

Riesgo adicional en la mortalidad de adultos mayores en Argentina, 2015-2016 / Additional mortality risk in old age widows and widowers in Argentina, 2015-2016

INTRODUCCIÓN: El envejecimiento poblacional probablemente es el fenómeno demográfico más importante del siglo XXI. Sin embargo, en la dinámica demográfica, aún persisten ciertas disparidades en el tiempo que viven las personas de diferente edad, sexo y clase social. Este trabajo apuntó a analizar y describir la mortalidad diferencial de los adultos mayores de 65 años entre julio de 2015 y junio de 2016, particularmente respecto al riesgo en quienes habían enviudado en Argentina. MÉTODOS: Se hizo un estudio de tipo ecológico, empleando fuentes de datos inusuales para los estudios demográficos y epidemiológicos: registros compilados en una base de datos individuales de la Administración Nacional de la Seguridad Social (ANSES). Se observaron así los diferenciales por sexo, edad y tipos de prestación previsional. Se compararon tres grupos: los que habían perdido a su pareja (y percibían pensiones por viudez) y los que no (dos grupos de jubilados con distintas prestaciones según su historia laboral). Dadas las disímiles estructuras por edad presentes en los grupos, se aplicó una serie de métodos para descomponer y controlar los efectos de la estructura por edad a nivel agregado. RESULTADOS: Las personas que percibían pensiones por viudez tenían mayor riesgo de muerte que el resto de beneficiarios y menor esperanza de vida a los 65 años. DISCUSIÓN: Pese a ciertas limitaciones, este estudio permitió estimar por primera vez en Argentina los riesgos diferenciales en los adultos mayores viudos

Communication, self-esteem and prolonged grief in parent-adolescent dyads, 1-4 years following the death of a parent to cancer.

PURPOSE: Talking and grieving together may be advantageous for maintaining belief in a meaningful future and can help bereaved adolescents and their parents to cope better with the situation. The aim of this study was to explore communication, self-esteem and prolonged grief in adolescent-parent dyads, following the death of a parent to cancer. METHOD: This study has a descriptive and comparative design. Twenty family dyads consisting of parentally bereaved adolescents (12-19 years) and their widowed parents completed the Parent and Adolescent Communication Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Prolonged Grief-13, 1-4 years following the death of a parent. RESULTS: Twelve family dyads reported normal-high parent-adolescent communication, 11 dyads rated normal-high self-esteem. Two adolescents and three parents scored above the cut-off for possible prolonged grief disorder (≥35), none of these were in the same dyads. There was a difference (p < .05) between boys (mean 40.0) and girls (mean 41.9) with regard to open family communication, as assessed by parents. Girls reported lower self-esteem (mean 26.0) than boys (mean 34.1, p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights from parentally bereaved families which indicate that despite experiencing the often-traumatic life event of losing a parent or partner, most participants reported normal parent-adolescent communication, normal self-esteem and few symptoms of prolonged grief. The potential usefulness of identifying families who may need professional support in family communication following the death of a parent is discussed.

Indicadores de saúde mental em idosos frequentadores de grupos de convivência / Mental health indicators of the elderly from social groups / Indicadores de salud mental en ancianos que frecuentan grupos sociales

Este estudo descritivo exploratório investigou a prevalência de Prática de Atividades Prazerosas (PAP), bem-estar Subjetivo (BES), Depressão e Solidão em 59 idosos provenientes de grupos de convivência. Foram aplicados: Questionário Sociodemográfico, Escal a de Atividades Instrumentais da Vida Diária de Pfeffer, Escala de Afetos Negativos e Positivos, Escala de Satisfação com a Vida, Escala de Depressão Geriátrica - versão reduzida, Escala Brasileira de Solidão e OPPES-BR. Os idosos da amostra eram majoritar iamente mulheres, jovens idosos, viúvos, escolarizados, com bom estado funcional e que avaliavam sua saúde de forma positiva. A amostra apresentou médias altas para PAP e BES e médias baixas para solidão e depressão. Grupos de convivência favorecem a saúde mental de idosos e contribuem para o envelhecimento bem-sucedido, uma vez que esses espaços fornecem oportunidades de suporte social, engajamento em atividades prazerosas e experiência de sentimentos positivos.

This descriptive and exploratory study investigated the prevalence of Involvement in Pleasant Events, Subjective Well-Being, Depression, and Loneliness in 59 elderly from social groups without apparent cognitive impairment. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pfeffer Index, the Negative and Positive Affect Scale, the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale - reduced version, the Brazilian Loneliness Scale, and OPPES-BR were applied. The elderly were mostly women, young, widowed, educated, with a good functional state, and with a positive health evaluation. Participants showed high levels of Involvement in Pleasant Events and Subjective Well Being, and low levels of loneliness and depression. Social groups provide opportunities for social support, engagement in pleasant events, positive emotions and may contribute to the elderly's mental health and successful aging.

Este estudio exploratorio descriptivo investigó la prevalencia de la práctica de actividad placentera (PAP), el bienestar subjetivo (BES), la depresión y la soledad en 59 personas mayores proveniente de grupos sociales. Se aplicaron el Cuestionario sociodemográfico, la Escala de actividades instrumentales de la vida diaria de Pfeffer, la Escala de afectos negativos y positivos, la Escala de satisfacción con la vida, la Escala de depresión geriátrica - versión reducida, la Escala de soledad brasileña y OPPES-BR. Los ancianos de la muestra eran en su mayoría mujeres, ancianos más jóvenes, viudos, escolarizados, con buen estado funcional y que evaluaron positivamente su salud. En general, los ancianos tenían altas tasas de PAP y BES y bajas tasas de soledad y depresión. Los grupos sociales favorecen la salud mental de las personas mayores y contribuyen al envejecimiento exitoso, ya que estos espacios traen oportunidades de apoyo social, participación en actividades placenteras y experiencia de sentimientos positivos.

Influence of marital status on overall survival in adult patients with chordoma: a SEER-based study.

BACKGROUND: As a rare primary bone tumor, no studies have reported the relationship between prognosis and marital status in patients with chordoma. METHODS: We classified patients with chordoma identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1975 to 2016 into four groups: married, divorced/separated, widowed, and single groups. Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank test and Cox regression were used to analyze the effect of marital status on overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 1080 patients were included in the study: 700 (64.8%) were married, 88 (8.1%) were divorced/separated, 78 (7.2%) were widowed, and 214 (19.8%) were single. Among the 4 groups, the 5-year OS (45.2%), 10-year OS (12.5%), and median OS (56.0 months) were the lowest in the widowed group. After including age, sex, primary site, marital status, disease stage, tumor size, histological type, and treatment pattern, multivariate analysis showed that marital status was still an independent risk factor for patients with chordoma, and widowed patients had the lowest OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.33, p < 0.001) compared with married patients. Similar results were observed after stratifying the primary site and disease stage. CONCLUSION: Marital status was an independent prognostic indicator for adult patients with chordoma, and marital status was conducive to patient survival. Compared with married patients, widowed patients have a higher risk of death.

Healthcare services and medication use among widowed partners of patients deceased due to cancer - results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the effect of a cancer death on healthcare and medication use among widowed individuals (Widowed-Cancer), by comparing this population with partnered individuals and with widowed individuals whose partners were deceased due to cardiovascular diseases (Widowed-CVD). METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Sixth Wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe - SHARE, conducted in 2015, in 18 countries. Widowed-Cancer were matched by country, sex, age and educational level with currently partnered individuals (1:2; n = 901 and n = 1802, respectively) and with Widowed-CVD (1:1; n = 606 and n = 606, respectively). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were computed using logistic regression. RESULTS: The use of drugs for sleep problems (OR = 1.42, 95%CI:1.12-1.80) and anxiety or depression (OR = 1.56, 95%CI:1.20-2.03) was more common among Widowed-Cancer than in partnered individuals; a tendency towards higher odds of being hospitalised in the previous year was also observed in Widowed-Cancer (OR = 1.20, 95%CI:0.98-1.47). Among participants whose partners were deceased in 2015, Widowed-Cancer were more likely than Widowed-CVD to report ≥10 contacts with medical doctors or nurses in the previous year (OR = 3.32, 95%CI:1.20-9.24; P for interaction = .042) and a higher use of drugs for sleep problems (OR = 14.43, 95%CI:1.74-119.84; P for interaction = .027). CONCLUSION: Widowed individuals whose partners were deceased due to cancer had a higher use of healthcare, which highlights the importance of improving the quality of end-of-life care, even during widowhood.

Impact of partnership status on clinical outcomes of patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and performance of sentinel lymph node biopsy.

OBJECTIVES: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma is a rare malignancy and lymph node involvement is the most significant prognostic factor. We aimed to evaluate the association between partnership status and mortality from vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, cancer stage at the time of presentation, and the decision for sentinel lymph node biopsy. METHODS: The US National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried and different parameters were evaluated relative to partnership status. A total of 4851 patients with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, >18 years of age, who presented between January 2010 to December 2015, were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess survival and hazard ratio. Multinomial regression analysis and χ2 were utilized to evaluate odd ratios and significance of variables. RESULTS: Most patients were unpartnered (58.5%), including never married (17.7%), divorced (13.8%), or widowed (27%). Partnered patients were mostly Caucasian (88.4%), insured (74%), and presented with stage I disease (57.2%), compared with unpartnered patients (79.1%), (61.7%), and (51.7%), respectively (p<0.01). The mean survival time (months) in partnered patients was longer, compared with unpartnered (p<0.001), and the difference between both groups increased from 9 months at stage I to 24 months at stage IV, which remained independently significant after adjusting the different variables. Cox regression showed that partnered patients had a lower hazard ratio than unpartnered patients (p<0.01). Mortality from vulvar squamous cell carcinoma increased with age at diagnosis, no surgery, and unemployment (p<0.01). Unpartnered patients were the least likely to undergo sentinel lymph node biopsy in early stages, compared with partnered (p<0.01). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that not performing sentinel lymph node biopsy almost doubled the hazard ratio of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Partnership status should be considered when counseling patients for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma therapy and when recommending screening and follow-up to optimize patient care.

Health risk behaviors in elderly Brazilian widowers. / Comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en hombres mayores brasileños viudos.

The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of health risk behaviors among elderly widowers with that of elderly partnered males, as well as single or divorced/separated men. Additionally, we set out to examine the prevalence of risk behaviors in elderly widowered men according to age, education level, and race/skin color. A cross-sectional study was conducted with elderly men (≥ 60 years) who were interviewed through the Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) in 2016 (n=5,384) and 2017 (n=5,801). The Vigitel survey includes representative samples of adults residing in the capitals of Brazilian states and the Federal District, and of those surveyed, 886 were widowers. Identified risk behaviors included physical inactivity during leisure time, irregular consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes, smoking and alcohol abuse. The prevalence of smoking was lower among partnered elderly men [PR=0.68, CI95% (0.52-0.90)] than among widowers. There were no differences in the prevalence of other risk behaviors between widowers and other groups. When only widowers were taken into account, there was significant association of risk behaviors with age and educational level, but not with race/skin color.

Se buscó comparar la prevalencia de comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en hombres mayores viudos con las de hombres mayores con pareja, solteros y divorciados/separados, así como la prevalencia de comportamientos de riesgo en hombres mayores viudos según rango de edad, escolaridad y raza/color. Se realizó un estudio transversal con hombres mayores (≥ 60 años) entrevistados por el Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo y Protección para Enfermedades Crónicas por Encuesta Telefónica (Vigitel) en 2016 (n=5.384) y 2017 (n=5.801) que incluye muestras representativas de adultos de las capitales de los estados brasileños y del Distrito Federal. De ellos, 886 eran viudos. Los comportamientos de riesgo fueron: inactividad física en el tiempo libre, consumo irregular de frutas, verduras y legumbres, tabaquismo y consumo abusivo de alcohol. La prevalencia de tabaquismo fue menor entre los hombres mayores con pareja [RP = 0,68; IC95% (0,52-0,90)] que entre los viudos. En los demás comportamientos de riesgo no se observaron diferencias en la prevalencia de los viudos en relación a los demás grupos. Cuando se analizaron solamente los viudos, se observaron importantes asociaciones de los comportamientos de riesgo con las variables grupo de edad y escolaridad, pero no con raza/color.

Early experience with medical assistance in dying in Ontario, Canada: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized across Canada in June 2016. Some have expressed concern that patient requests for MAiD might be driven by poor access to palliative care and that social and economic vulnerability of patients may influence access to or receipt of MAiD. To examine these concerns, we describe Ontario's early experience with MAiD and compare MAiD decedents with the general population of decedents in Ontario. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing all MAiD-related deaths with all deaths in Ontario, Canada, between June 7, 2016, and Oct. 31, 2018. Clinical and demographic characteristics were collected for all MAiD decedents and compared with those of all Ontario decedents when possible. We used logistic regression analyses to describe the association of demographic and clinical factors with receipt of MAiD. RESULTS: A total of 2241 patients (50.2% women) were included in the MAiD cohort, and 186 814 in the general Ontario decedent cohort. Recipients of MAiD reported both physical (99.5%) and psychologic suffering (96.4%) before the procedure. In 74.4% of cases, palliative care providers were involved in the patient's care at the time of the MAiD request. The statutory 10-day reflection period was shortened for 26.6% of people. Compared with all Ontario decedents, MAiD recipients were younger (mean 74.4 v. 77.0 yr, standardized difference 0.18);, more likely to be from a higher income quintile (24.9% v. 15.6%, standardized difference across quintiles 0.31); less likely to reside in an institution (6.3% v. 28.0%, standardized difference 0.6); more likely to be married (48.5% v. 40.6%) and less likely to be widowed (25.7% v. 35.8%, standardized difference 0.34); and more likely to have a cancer diagnosis (64.4% v. 27.6%, standardized difference 0.88 for diagnoses comparisons). INTERPRETATION: Recipients of MAiD were younger, had higher income, were substantially less likely to reside in an institution and were more likely to be married than decedents from the general population, suggesting that MAiD is unlikely to be driven by social or economic vulnerability. Given the high prevalence of physical and psychologic suffering, despite involvement of palliative care providers in caring for patients who request MAiD, future studies should aim to improve our understanding and treatment of the specific types of suffering that lead to a MAiD request.

Comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en hombres mayores brasileños viudos / Health risk behaviors in elderly Brazilian widowers

RESUMEN Se buscó comparar la prevalencia de comportamientos de riesgo para la salud en hombres mayores viudos con las de hombres mayores con pareja, solteros y divorciados/separados, así como la prevalencia de comportamientos de riesgo en hombres mayores viudos según rango de edad, escolaridad y raza/color. Se realizó un estudio transversal con hombres mayores (≥ 60 años) entrevistados por el Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo y Protección para Enfermedades Crónicas por Encuesta Telefónica (Vigitel) en 2016 (n=5.384) y 2017 (n=5.801) que incluye muestras representativas de adultos de las capitales de los estados brasileños y del Distrito Federal. De ellos, 886 eran viudos. Los comportamientos de riesgo fueron: inactividad física en el tiempo libre, consumo irregular de frutas, verduras y legumbres, tabaquismo y consumo abusivo de alcohol. La prevalencia de tabaquismo fue menor entre los hombres mayores con pareja [RP = 0,68; IC95% (0,52-0,90)] que entre los viudos. En los demás comportamientos de riesgo no se observaron diferencias en la prevalencia de los viudos en relación a los demás grupos. Cuando se analizaron solamente los viudos, se observaron importantes asociaciones de los comportamientos de riesgo con las variables grupo de edad y escolaridad, pero no con raza/color.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of health risk behaviors among elderly widowers with that of elderly partnered males, as well as single or divorced/separated men. Additionally, we set out to examine the prevalence of risk behaviors in elderly widowered men according to age, education level, and race/skin color. A cross-sectional study was conducted with elderly men (≥ 60 years) who were interviewed through the Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) in 2016 (n=5,384) and 2017 (n=5,801). The Vigitel survey includes representative samples of adults residing in the capitals of Brazilian states and the Federal District, and of those surveyed, 886 were widowers. Identified risk behaviors included physical inactivity during leisure time, irregular consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes, smoking and alcohol abuse. The prevalence of smoking was lower among partnered elderly men [PR=0.68, CI95% (0.52-0.90)] than among widowers. There were no differences in the prevalence of other risk behaviors between widowers and other groups. When only widowers were taken into account, there was significant association of risk behaviors with age and educational level, but not with race/skin color.

Social Integration, Marital Status, and Ovarian Cancer Risk: A 20-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Low social integration and divorce/widowhood are chronic psychosocial stressors that may affect health. When assessed after cancer diagnosis, they have been associated with poorer survival, but their role in cancer development, particularly ovarian cancer (OvCA), is less understood. We investigated whether social integration and marital status were related to OvCA risk in a large population-based study. METHODS: Women from the Nurses' Health Study completed the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index and reported their marital status every 4 years starting in 1992 (N = 72,206), and were followed up until 2012 (20-year follow-up period). Multivariate Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of OvCA risk, considering relevant potential confounders, in lagged analyses whereby psychosocial indicators were assessed 4 to 8 years (n = 436 cases) and 8 to 12 years (n = 306 cases) before diagnosis to account for the effects of prediagnostic symptoms on social measures. Secondary analyses evaluated the stability of and cumulative exposure to these social factors on OvCA risk. RESULTS: Being socially isolated versus integrated was related to an increased OvCA risk 8 to 12 years later (HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.07-2.13), but not 4 to 8 years later. Compared with married women, OvCA risk was significantly higher in widowed but not in separated/divorced individuals, with both time periods (e.g., 8-12 years later: HRwidowed = 1.57 [95% CI = 1.15-2.14] versus HRseparated/divorced = 1.13 [95% CI = 0.74-1.72]). Estimates were comparable or stronger when investigating stability in and cumulative effects of social indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest higher OvCA risk among socially isolated and widowed women, particularly when such psychosocial stressors were experienced a decade before diagnosis or were sustained over time.

Sex differences in executive functioning and latent herpesvirus reactivation among bereaved and nonbereaved individuals.

The death of a spouse is a highly stressful event. Better executive functioning has been shown to benefit men to a greater degree than women during stress. We evaluated potential sex differences in stress and immune dysregulation among control and bereaved participants who completed a self-report measure of perceived stress, neuropsychological measures of inhibition and updating/monitoring of information in working memory, and a blood draw to measure Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody titres. Moderation analyses were conducted to test the hypothesis that better inhibition would be associated with less stress and immune dysregulation among male bereaved participants compared with female bereaved participants. Bereaved females demonstrated greater EBV antibody titres than bereaved males. Male bereaved participants benefited from better inhibition, as evidenced by fewer EBV antibody titres, whereas bereaved female participants did not. In the control group, males with high inhibition reported lower stress than males with low inhibition. Present study results are an important step towards identifying those at greatest risk of stress and poor health.

Socioeconomic circumstances and incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in an urban population in Sweden.

The association between socioeconomic circumstances and incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was investigated in an urban population in Sweden. The study included all 40-89 year-old inhabitants in Malmö, Sweden (N = 117,479) without previous hospitalization due to COPD, who were followed over 14 years for COPD related hospital admissions. The Malmö Preventive Project (MPP) cohort (n = 27,358) with information on biological and lifestyle factors was also used to study the association between socioeconomic circumstances and COPD. The Swedish hospital discharge register was used to record incidence of COPD hospitalizations. A total of 2,877 individuals (47.5% men) were discharged from hospital with COPD as the primary diagnosis during follow-up in Malmö. Low annual income (hazard ratio (HR): 2.23; 95%CI: 1.97-2.53, P < 0.001) and rented (vs. self-owned) housing (HR: 1.41; 1.30-1.52, P < 0.001) were associated with a higher risk for COPD. In addition, compared to married subjects, divorced (HR: 1.61; 1.46-1.78, P < 0.001) and widowed (HR: 1.30; 1.16-1.46, P < 0.001) individuals had an increased risk for hospitalization due to COPD. Low income, low occupation and being divorced or widowed were similarly associated with COPD in the MPP cohort, after adjustments for smoking, FEV1, BMI, age and sex. However, socioeconomic circumstances were not associated with COPD in analyses restricted to never smokers. Low socioeconomic circumstances were associated with an increased risk of COPD after adjustments for biological and lifestyle risk factors including smoking status. However, this relationship was not significant in those who never smoked.

The Influence of Marital Status on Contemporary Patterns of Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Marital status is known to influence quality of life, survival, and treatment decision-making after breast cancer diagnosis. We aimed to determine whether relationship status impacts contemporary patterns of immediate breast reconstruction. METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-18 was used to identify females undergoing mastectomy for stage 0-III breast cancer from 1998 to 2014. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association of relationship status with the likelihood of postmastectomy reconstruction. Patients were grouped by diagnosis year to assess change in the reconstructed population with time. Among younger patients ≤45 years, a generalized logistic model was used to predict reconstruction subtype. RESULTS: Among 346,418 patients, reconstruction after mastectomy was more likely to occur in women with relationship support in the form of a marriage or partner [odds ratio (OR) 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.28-1.34; p<0.001]. Women who were separated (OR 0.76), single (OR 0.73), or widowed (OR 0.56) were significantly less likely than married women to undergo reconstruction (all p<0.001). During the 17-year study period, change in reconstruction rates with time varied by relationship status (interaction p=0.02), with reconstruction rates among divorced patients increasing more slowly than those among married and partnered women. Among younger women, subtype patterns varied by relationship status (p=0.004), with divorced women less likely to receive autologous over implant reconstruction (OR 0.87; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Relationship status may influence decision-making regarding pursuit and type of postmastectomy reconstruction. Consideration of support networks of patients with breast cancer could facilitate tailored preoperative counseling by reconstructive surgeons.

Risk of Hospitalization for Cancer, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Injuries, or Poisonings Surrounding Widowhood.

Psychological distress has been indicated to affect the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and external causes. Mortality from these major causes of death is also known to be elevated after widowhood when distress is at a heightened level. Surprisingly little is known about changes in health other than mental and cardiac health shortly before widowhood. We used longitudinal data on widowed (n = 19,185) and continuously married (n = 105,939) individuals in Finland (1996-2002) to assess the risk of hospitalization for cancer and for external and musculoskeletal causes surrounding widowhood or random dates. We fitted population-averaged logit models using longitudinal data of older adults aged 65 years or over. The results show that hospitalization for injuries had already increased prior to widowhood and clearly peaked after it. The increases were largely related to falls. A similar increasing pattern of findings was not found around a random date for a group of continuously married individuals. Hospitalizations for cancer and musculoskeletal disorders appeared to be unrelated to the process of widowhood. Hospitalizations for poisonings increased after widowhood. The results imply that the process of widowhood is multifaceted and that various types of health changes should be studied separately and before the actual loss.