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How widowhood status relates to engagement in advance care planning among older adults: does race/ethnicity matter?
- Source :
-
Aging & Mental Health . Mar2022, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p604-613. 10p. 3 Charts, 3 Graphs. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- This study investigated whether and to what extent widowhood status is related to engagement in advance care planning (ACP), and further whether race/ethnicity moderated the relation. We analyzed a total of 11,257 older Americans from the Health and Retirement Study using random-effect regression models after controlling for covariates and year-fixed effects. We found that both being a widow/widower ever and having been widowed for a longer period of time were associated with a higher probability of engagement in ACP. Specifically, we found that a one-year increase in the number of years since spousal death was associated with 1.02 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.03) changes in the odds ratios of informal ACP; however, inclusion of a quadratic term indicated that this association reversed after the peak. Moreover, our findings suggested a moderating effect of race/ethnicity on the relations of the length of time since spousal loss with engagement in ACP. Specifically, the odds of widowed non-Hispanic Blacks discussing with someone the care or medical treatment (informal ACP) and having a living will (formal ACP) were 0.96 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.00) and 0.88 (p < 0.05, 95% CI = 0.79, 0.97) times that of non-widowed non-Hispanic Whites. Compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts, widowed non-Hispanic Blacks were less likely to engage in ACP, and the negative relations were exacerbated when they became widows/widowers. We elaborated on these findings and discussed their implications for understanding the moderating effect of race/ethnicity on the relation between lateālife widowhood and engagement in ACP. In order to develop programs that enhance engagement in ACP and reduce racial/ethnic disparities, research must incorporate intersectionality theory with attention to motivations and decision-making style among diverse widows/widowers. The findings from this study could help inform policy makers when developing public health programs and health care reimbursement programs that enhance engagement in ACP among widows/widowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13607863
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Aging & Mental Health
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 155469318
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1867823