Purpose of the Study: This study examines health-risk behaviors among "Baby Boomer" caregivers and non-caregivers. Design and Methods: Data from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey of the state's non-institutionalized population provided individual-level, caregiving, and health behavior characteristics for 5,688 informal…

This study examines the effects of marital history on the burden of cardiovascular disease in midlife. With use of data from the 1992 Health and Retirement Study, a series of nested logistic regression models was used to estimate the association between marital history and the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. Results suggest that, in midlife,…

Compared correlates of retirement satisfaction for married and widowed rural women. Increase in voluntary association memberships and health were predictors of retirement satisfaction for both groups. Other predictors of satisfaction included financial adequacy, frequency and certainty of aid from friends for married women, and maintenance of…

Compared older adults living alone or with only a spouse to those living with children, relatives, or friends. Found that those living alone or with a spouse were more likely to prefer to move into alternate setting (senior housing or nursing home). Findings revealed limited evidence to support view that residency with others is substitute for…

Based on interviews with widows and wives, examined effects of marital status on older women's help to kin and friends. Although married women provided more help to kin than did widows, most differences could be explained in terms of greater material resources marriage provided. Widows spent more time and gave more practical help to friends than…