ArticleJournal of the economics of ageing2023
Understanding the Effects of Widowhood on Health in China: Mechanisms and Heterogeneity.
Article in Journal of the economics of ageing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Resource or crisis? Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2026Article
- Widowhood mortality among married and cohabiting partners: a nationwide study in Finland.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Widowhood disparities in nonaccidental mortality attributable to heat waves and ozone.Eco-Environment & Health · 2025Article
- The association between widowhood duration and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults: mediation role of sleeping duration and dietary diversity.European journal of ageing · 2025Article
- The impact of widowhood on household consumption among middle-aged and older adults: evidence from China.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Consumption and poverty of older Chinese: 2011-2020.Journal of the economics of ageing · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of widowhood on the health of mid-aged and older individuals in China using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) data. Our results show that widowhood significantly increases the risk of depression, chronic diseases, and body pain while reducing cognitive function, sleeping time, and daily activity functions. The effects on depression and daily functions are immediate, that on chronic diseases is lagged, and the effects on cognitive function and sleeping hours persist over time. We find that rural widows are particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes due to their weaker economic positions, for whom widowhood leads to more grandchild care responsibility and corresponding workforce and social withdrawals. Moreover, rural widows' income loss is not compensated by children, either by co-residence or financial transfers, leading to reduced living standards. Overall, our findings suggest that China needs to strengthen economic security for older people, especially among rural women, in order to avoid significant negative consequences of widowhood.
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Registered trials
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