Older Adults’ Social Relations: Life Satisfaction to Widowhood

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the breadth and depth of relationships with relatives and friends and the possible implications of those relationships with regards to life satisfaction to widowhood. Data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) survey were used, which sampled persons 57-85 years of age (N=3005). It was hypothesized that older widowed adults have greater quality of both family and friend relationships than do older married adults. Structural Equational Modeling analysis results supported these hypotheses, revealing that older widowed adults reported higher quality of engagement in family and friend relations compared to older married adults, possibly enabling greater life satisfaction to widowhood.

Keywords

• widowed older adults
• life satisfaction to widowhood
• family and friend relations in widowhood