Implementation of unisex pension plan allowing employers to comply with Supreme Court rulings would result in a fall in single men's pension wealth, a rise in single women's pension wealth, and change in returns to pension contributions. Offers analysis of how change to unisex plan would affect pension wealth and retirement decisions for single…

Examined economic consequences of widowhood for both men and women over time and compared their financial well-being to that of a matched group of continuously married couples. The findings of this longitudinal study indicated that the loss of a spouse had negative economic consequences for both widows and widowers relative to continuously married…

Examined religious participation among elderly blacks (N=581) using data from a national sample of black Americans. Three indicators of religious participation were utilized: frequency of religious service attendance, church membership, and the degree of subjective religiosity. Found that religious participation varied by gender, marital status,…

Used longitudinal data to investigate factors associated with evaluations of work, retirement, and well-being of 1,398 never-married, widowed, and divorced/separated men and women. Factors associated with evaluations tended to be similar across marital status. Formerly married women especially seemed to warrant attention of practitioners who plan…

Conducted interviews with 181 older adults to study depressive symptoms and life stresses. Sample was approximately equally divided between men and women, Blacks and Whites, and higher and lower socioeconomic classes. Few life events were significantly related to level of depression either before or after controlling for physical disability and…

Examines living arrangements as both an outcome of previous lifestyle, and as an antecedent for other events. Findings indicate that despite their much lower incomes, not-presently-married women live in housing of considerably higher quality than do men in comparable marital statuses and living arrangements. (Author)

National data for respondents over age 65 revealed although women were less likely to be living with spouse, living arrangements of unmarried women and men were similar. Women lived closer to children, received more telephone calls, had marginally more contact, but did not receive more mail than men. Explained women's receipt of more informal…

Surveyed elderly persons (n=150) in Zimbabwe to determine elderly support and intergenerational transfer by gender, marital status, and place of residence. Found respondents received considerable support from their children, because 45 percent received cash support and 61 percent received noncash support in the prior year. (ABL)

Analyses of indicators of informal social supports for respondents aged 55 and older included in a national Survey Research Center study indicated that the widowed elderly generally had an advantage over the married and that sex differences were similar between married and widowed elderly. (Author/RC)