The Influence of Marriage on Health Among the Middle Aged and Elderly in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Shiue, Yen-Ching, 薛燕卿
• Other Authors: Ho, Shu-Hsi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/16077930637134720191

碩士 === 嶺東科技大學 === 國際企業研究所 === 100 === ABSTRACT As higher ratio of old people are raised in Taiwan, the number of widow and widower are raised. Therefore , it is worth to concern the elderly health after the death of a spouse. This study is to examine the impact of spousal death on the surviving spouse’s health transition for the middle aged and elderly Taiwan. A long term investigation design is applied to data to research whether the death of a spouse is associated significantly to health transition and for the widowed elder in Taiwan. Subject data is obtained from the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Middle Aged and Elderly in Taiwan, a study conducted in 1996 and further linked to 1996-2003 national death registry data. Logistic regression models are used to determine the impact of health transition. After controlling for potentially confounding variables, for the health status, being widowed marriage shows significant effects on poor self-rated health and depression for widows but not for widowers. For widowers, marriage reveals significance on physical functional limitations or difficulties only. The belief confirms that marriage provides effective sources to promote health. In addition, since the social welfare system is not perfect in Taiwan, the empirical findings also suggest that family and social network reveal strongly association with the health for the widows and widowers elderly. Research results should be useful in developing welfare strategies targeting health and survival analysis for the target group.