Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22299754›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2012

Assessing survival in widowers, and controls - a nationwide, six- to nine-year follow-up.

Bragi Skulason, Lilja Sigrun Jonsdottir, Valgerdur Sigurdardottir, Asgeir R Helgason

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Widowhood mortality among married and cohabiting partners: a nationwide study in Finland.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025
    Article
  2. Measuring premature and cumulative family member bereavement: Racial disparities and later mortality risk.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Bragi SkulasonUniversity of Iceland, Saemundargata, Reykjavik IS101, Iceland. bragi@landspitali.is
Lilja Sigrun Jonsdottir
Valgerdur Sigurdardottir
Asgeir R Helgason

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe aim of this study was to assess if widowers had an increased mortality rate during the first 6 to 9 years after the death of their wife, compared initially to an age-matched control group and also compared to the general population of Iceland.

methodsThe study base was comprised of all 371 men born in 1924-1969 who were widowed in Iceland in 1999-2001 and 357 controls, married men, who were matched by age and residence.The widowers and controls were followed through the years 2002-2007 using information from Statistics Iceland. Mortality rates were compared between the groups and also with the general population. The mortality rate comparisons were: study group vs. control group, on the one hand, and study group vs. general population on the other. Causes of death were also compared between widowers and their wives.

resultsA statistically significant increase in mortality in the widowers' group, compared to controls, was observed.Lifestyle-related factors could not be excluded as contributing to cause of death in these cases.

conclusionsBeing a widower was related to an increased risk of death for at least 9 years after the death of their wife.

Indexed as

WidowhoodAdultAgedCause of DeathCensusesConfidence IntervalsFollow-Up StudiesHumansIcelandMaleMiddle AgedSurvival Analysis

Identifiers

PMID22299754
PMCPMC3295697

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.