Gender and widowhood: disparity in health status and health care utilization among the aged in India

Despite an increasing feminization of India's older population marked by a high incidence of widowhood among aged women, women's health in later life and the health consequences of widowhood has received little attention in the existing gender and gerontological scholarship in India. Based on data of a nationally representative survey by the National Sample Survey Organization (N = 34,831, ages 60 and over), this study analyzed marital status, gender, health and health care utilization, and examined the gendered nature of aging and widowhood in India. Significant differences were found in health status and utilization of health care services by gender and marital status. Widowed persons of either gender were found to be the most vulnerable and, overall, widows emerge as the most disadvantaged group. KEYWORDS aging, gender, marital status, India, health status, health care utilization DOI: 10.1080/15313204.2010.523650