Marital status, dementia and institutional residence among elderly Canadians: the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.

Abstract

The association between marital status and mortality is well known; marital status has also been related to morbidity. In this paper, we examine the importance of marital status in relation to the presence or absence of dementia and to institutional residence, using data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Three groups are compared: married, single and previously married. We show that the age-standardized prevalence of dementia and the proportions of elderly Canadians living in institutions with and without dementia are highest among single people and are also high for those who were previously married. These associations hold true for both women and men, but the relation between marital status and institutionalization is much stronger for men. Possible explanations and implications for the future care of the elderly are discussed.