The impact of co-resident spouses and sons on elderly mortality in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper uses prospective data from the Matlab surveillance system in rural Bangladesh to demonstrate that initially co-resident spouses and sons have a major impact on the subsequent mortality of old people, with significant differences by the sex of the elderly person, and the age of the son. Spouses significantly reduce mortality by similar magnitudes for both elderly men and women. On the other hand, co-resident adult sons reduce mortality for elderly women much more than for elderly men, with younger sons being more beneficial than older sons. Furthermore, both married and unmarried females appear to benefit equally from co-resident adult sons. Finally, this analysis suggests that the impact of spouses and sons on mortality in old age is not substantially mediated through changes in elderly economic status.

PIP: This study uses a prospective data with a large sample size from rural Bangladesh to examine the impact of co-resident spouses and sons on the subsequent mortality of old people, with significant differences depending on the sex of the elderly person and the age of the son. Findings revealed that spouses significantly reduce mortality by similar magnitudes for both elderly men and women. On the other hand, co-resident adult sons reduce mortality for elderly women much more than for elderly men, with younger sons being more beneficial than older sons. Furthermore, both married and unmarried females appear to benefit equally from co-resident adult sons. In conclusion, it is clear that in the study population, the presence of co-resident sons and spouses acts in a complex way to affect mortality in old age, with elderly women being particularly vulnerable to these effects. No single mechanism can fully explain the varying impact of spouses and sons. Not only may different mechanisms (protection through increased social integration/enhanced stress buffering/improved information networks, protection through improved economic status, and selection into co-residences on the basis of health status) be operative in the case of spouses versus son, but more than one mechanism may be responsible in each case