View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Parental Death Across the Life Course, Social Isolation, and Health in Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Disadvantage in the U.S.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Parental Death Across the Life Course, Social Isolation, and Health in Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Disadvantage in the U.S.
Authors: Donnelly, Rachel, Lin, Zhiyong, Umberson, Debra
Source: Social Forces. Dec2023, Vol. 102 Issue 2, p586-608. 23p.
Subjects: Bereavement, Parents, Death, Social isolation, Older people
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Bereavement is a risk factor for poor health, yet prior research has not considered how exposure to parental death across the life course may contribute to lasting social isolation and, in turn, poor health among older adults. Moreover, prior research often fails to consider the racial context of bereavement in the United States wherein Black and Hispanic Americans are much more likely than White Americans to experience parental death earlier in life. The present study uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 1998–2016) to consider linkages of parental death, social isolation, and health (self-rated health, functional limitations) for Black, Hispanic, and White older adults. Findings suggest that exposure to parental death is associated with higher levels of isolation, greater odds of fair/poor self-rated health, and greater odds of functional limitations in later life. Moreover, social isolation partially explains associations between parental bereavement and later-life health. These patterns persist net of psychological distress—an additional psychosocial response to bereavement. Racial inequities in bereavement are central to disadvantage: Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to experience a parent's death earlier in the life course, and this differential exposure to parental death in childhood or young adulthood has implications for racial and ethnic inequities in social isolation and health throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Social Forces is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 172954833
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Parental Death Across the Life Course, Social Isolation, and Health in Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Disadvantage in the U.S.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Donnelly%2C+Rachel%22">Donnelly, Rachel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lin%2C+Zhiyong%22">Lin, Zhiyong</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Umberson%2C+Debra%22">Umberson, Debra</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Social+Forces%22">Social Forces</searchLink>. Dec2023, Vol. 102 Issue 2, p586-608. 23p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bereavement%22">Bereavement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Death%22">Death</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+isolation%22">Social isolation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Older+people%22">Older people</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%22">United States</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Bereavement is a risk factor for poor health, yet prior research has not considered how exposure to parental death across the life course may contribute to lasting social isolation and, in turn, poor health among older adults. Moreover, prior research often fails to consider the racial context of bereavement in the United States wherein Black and Hispanic Americans are much more likely than White Americans to experience parental death earlier in life. The present study uses longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 1998–2016) to consider linkages of parental death, social isolation, and health (self-rated health, functional limitations) for Black, Hispanic, and White older adults. Findings suggest that exposure to parental death is associated with higher levels of isolation, greater odds of fair/poor self-rated health, and greater odds of functional limitations in later life. Moreover, social isolation partially explains associations between parental bereavement and later-life health. These patterns persist net of psychological distress—an additional psychosocial response to bereavement. Racial inequities in bereavement are central to disadvantage: Black and Hispanic adults are more likely to experience a parent's death earlier in the life course, and this differential exposure to parental death in childhood or young adulthood has implications for racial and ethnic inequities in social isolation and health throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Social Forces is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=172954833
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1093/sf/soad027
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 586
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Bereavement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Death
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social isolation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Older people
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Parental Death Across the Life Course, Social Isolation, and Health in Later Life: Racial/Ethnic Disadvantage in the U.S.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Donnelly, Rachel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lin, Zhiyong
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Umberson, Debra
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Text: Dec2023
              Type: published
              Y: 2023
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00377732
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 102
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Social Forces
              Type: main
ResultId 1