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Widowhood and health of elderly in India: examining the role of economic factors using structural equation modeling

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  • Manoj K. Pandey
  • Abhay Kumar Jha

Abstract

Evidence on the association between widowhood and health is widely available in the literature. However, there is a dearth of analysis on the mechanism through which widowhood affects the health status of an individual, particularly in old age, specifically whether widowhood among the elderly affects their health through their economic conditions. This paper purports to establish both the direct and indirect effects of widowhood on self-reported health status among aged Indians. We examine the mediating effect of economic factors such as income, labor force participation, extent of economic independence and other economic factors in the relationship between widowhood and health status. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is employed to test specific hypotheses. We use unit level 60th round data for the year 2004 surveyed by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO). The results confirm that poor economic conditions have a mediating effect on the relationship between widowhood and health and, therefore, any policy to reduce the effect of widowhood on health must be based on economic factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Manoj K. Pandey & Abhay Kumar Jha, 2012. "Widowhood and health of elderly in India: examining the role of economic factors using structural equation modeling," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 111-124, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:irapec:v:26:y:2012:i:1:p:111-124
    DOI: 10.1080/02692171.2011.587109
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    1. repec:ilo:ilowps:455325 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. S. Irudaya Rajan, 2006. "Population Ageing and Health in India," Working Papers id:492, eSocialSciences.
    3. Rajan, Irudaya., 2010. "Demographic ageing and employment in India," ILO Working Papers 994553253402676, International Labour Organization.
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    Cited by:

    1. Akhtar, Pervaiz & Tse, Ying Kei & Khan, Zaheer & Rao-Nicholson, Rekha, 2016. "Data-driven and adaptive leadership contributing to sustainability: global agri-food supply chains connected with emerging markets," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(PB), pages 392-401.
    2. Megan Reed, 2020. "The labor force participation of Indian women before and after widowhood," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(24), pages 673-706.
    3. Manoj K. Pandey, 2013. "Elderly's Health Shocks and Household's Ex-ante Poverty in India," ASARC Working Papers 2013-01, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    4. Hossain, Babul & James, K.S., 2024. "Economics of widowhood mortality in adult women in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).

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