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Journal of Aging and Health
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Cohabitation Status and Onset of Disability Among Older Danes

Is Social Participation a Possible Mediator?

Charlotte Juul Nilsson, MD

University of Copenhagen, c.nilsson{at}socmed.ku.dk

Rikke Lund, MD, PhD

University of Copenhagen

Kirsten Avlund, DMSc

University of Copenhagen

Objectives: To investigate the effect of cohabitation status in older men and women on (a) onset of disability at 3- and 4.5-year follow-up and (b) changes in functional ability between 3- and 4.5-year follow-up, and to analyze whether this effect was mediated by social participation. Method: A total of 2,533 nondisabled older men and women enrolled in the Danish Intervention Study on Preventive Home Visits constituted the study population. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires in 1998-1999, 2000, 2001-2002, and 2003. Results: Living alone significantly increased the risk of onset of disability (T3 OR = 1.60[1.06-2.43], T4 OR = 1.74[1.22-2.47]) and the risk of sustained poor functional ability (OR = 2.35[1.44-3.84]) among men, but not among single-living women. Social participation mediated only a small part of the effect of cohabitation status on functional ability. Discussion: Our results underline the importance of cohabitation/marriage for maintaining a high functional ability among older men.

Key Words: cohabitation status • onset of disability • mediation • social participation

This version was published on March 1, 2008

Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 20, No. 2, 235-253 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0898264307310474
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