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Loneliness in life and in death? Social and demographic patterns of unclaimed deaths

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  • Heeju Sohn
  • Stefan Timmermans
  • Pamela J Prickett

Abstract

We examined family isolation, economic hardship, and long-distance migration as potential patterns of an extreme outcome of a lonely death: bodily remains that remain unclaimed and are left to the state. This paper combines a unique dataset—Los Angeles County's records of unclaimed deaths—with the Vital Statistics' Mortality data and the Annual Social and Economic Survey (ASEC) to examine 1) whose remains are more likely to become unclaimed after death and, 2) whether population-level differences and trends in family isolation, economic hardship, and long-distance migration explain the differences in the rates of unclaimed deaths. We employ multivariate Poisson models to estimate relative rates of unclaimed deaths by social and demographic characteristics. We find that increases in never married, divorced/separated, and living without family were positively associated with rates of unclaimed deaths. Unemployment among men and poverty among women was associated with higher unclaimed deaths. Long-distance migration was not associated with more unclaimed bodies.

Suggested Citation

  • Heeju Sohn & Stefan Timmermans & Pamela J Prickett, 2020. "Loneliness in life and in death? Social and demographic patterns of unclaimed deaths," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0238348
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238348
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    1. Mieke Beth Thomeer & Stipica Mudrazija & Jacqueline L. Angel, 2016. "Relationship Status and Long-Term Care Facility Use in Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 71(4), pages 711-723.
    2. Goldman, Noreen & Korenman, Sanders & Weinstein, Rachel, 1995. "Marital status and health among the elderly," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(12), pages 1717-1730, June.
    3. Seeman, Teresa E. & Berkman, Lisa F., 1988. "Structural characteristics of social networks and their relationship with social support in the elderly: Who provides support," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 26(7), pages 737-749, January.
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