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The Effects of Bereavement on Eating Behaviors and Nutrient Intakes in Elderly Widowed Persons
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of recent widowhood on nutritional behaviors. Fifty recently widowed persons over the age of 60 and 50 married subjects of similar age were interviewed on eating behaviors, focusing on changes since widowhood or within 2 years for the married persons. Widowed subjects completed the Grief Resolution Index, and all subjects recorded dietary intake for 3 days. Data were analyzed using nutrient analysis, correlation coefficients, chi square analysis, and t-tests. The results indicate that widowhood changed the social environment of our subjects, altering the social meaning that eating held for them and producing negative effects on eating behaviors and nutrient intakes.
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“Numerous studies have found loss in old age to be associated with a range of negative health-related outcomes such as nutritional problems and sleep disturbances as well as higher use of health services and higher mortality (e.g., Hansson and Stroebe, 2007; Richardson et al., 2003; Rosenbloom and Whittington, 1993).”
From Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2017) · cites this paper as Rosenbloom and Whittington, 1993
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Items 101–171 of 171
Mehranfar, S., Civi, R. M., Plunkett, R., Murphy, R. A., Cohen, T. R., & Conklin, A. (2024) · Nutrition Reviews · doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae134 · Cited by 12
“25,46,47 They also tend to adhere more closely to dietary guidelines.”
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Scannell‐Desch, E. A. (2005) · Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing · doi:10.1097/00129191-200501000-00011 · Cited by 11
Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., & Wright, S. D. (2004) · Cited by 11
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Socio-economic status is associated with the risk of inadequate energy intake among Korean elderly
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“최근 2년 내에 배우자와 사별한 60세 이상 여성과 배우자와 함께 있는 여성을 비교한 환자대조군 연 구에서도 경제적인 부분이 미망인의 영양섭취를 저하시 키는 주요인이 될 수 없고 오히려 사회관계망이 그들의 식 사행동과 식사섭취를 변화시키는 주요인이 될 수 있다고 제언했던 점도 중요한 단초가 될 수 있겠다.(47) 한편, 2011 노인실태조사(33) 결과에 따르면, 85세 이상 연령 군에서 자 녀와의 동거 비율은 45.”
Serum Carotenoid Levels Vary by Marital Status
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“Grief diaries (such as food diaries [14], dream logs [13] and daily logs [11]) have played significant role in personal storytelling spaces.”
BackgroundThe Effects of Widowhood on Disabled Older Women (The Women's Health and Aging Study)
Telonidis, J. S., Lund, D. A., Caserta, M. S., Guralnik, J. M., & Pennington, J. L. (2005) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/hbmw-64c0-1vlw-qp40 · Cited by 7
“Widowhood has also been shown to cause loneliness and diminished interest in the activities surrounding eating, such as meal planning, shopping, and meal preparation (Rosenbloom & Whittington, 1993).”
BackgroundHealth Behavior and the Human Life Cycle
PROHASKA, T. R., & Clark, M. A. (1997) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-1757-7_2 · Cited by 7
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“As Rosenbloom and Whittington (1993) notes, this might be the result of changes to the social meaning of eating.”
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“…of belonging can also motivate older adults to eat, given empirical evidence that poor emotional health among older adults especially after the death of a spouse can significantly limit food intake (Horwitz et al., 1989; Newbury & Appleton, 2019; Rosenbloom & Whittington, 1993; Wylie et al., 1999).”
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“Widowhood causes loneliness and leads to less interest in activities surrounding eating, including meal planning, shopping, and meal preparation; this eventually leads to weight loss (Rosenbloom & Whittington, 1993).”
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“Second,disaster-related loss of a spouse can also affect survivors ’ eating habits: older adults who experience widowhood are known to face challenges in maintaining the quality of their diet (10,11) .”
Allen-Perkins, D., Jiménez, B. R., Ortiz, L. L.-L., Caballero, D. C., & Juárez, L. M. (2024) · Journal of Population Ageing · doi:10.1007/s12062-024-09475-4 · Cited by 2
“These results are consistent with previous research on older adults (Rosenbloom & Whittington, 1993; Shahar et al., 2001; Siden-vall et al., 2000; Williams, 2004), which noted a negative perception associated with eating alone – described as less pleasurable than eating commensally.”
Gender and Marital Status are Associated with Healthy Diet Among the Oldest Old
Dahal, P., Sen, R., & Kahana, E. F. (2025) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/07334648251343329 · Cited by 4
“Rosenbloom and Whit-tington (Rosenbloom & Whittington, 1993) found that most widowed women who had previously enjoyed meals now found it a chore because of the loneliness experienced at mealtimes.”
Mehranfar, S., Ceolin, G., Civi, R. M., Keller, H., Murphy, R. A., Cohen, T. R., & Conklin, A. (2025) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/s12966-025-01807-7 · Cited by 2
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“Another study reported a significant decline in nutrition for older bereaved spouses.(10) Researchers have found that spousal bereavement is a significant problem for older adults.”
BackgroundSPOUSAL INFLUENCES ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OLDER KUWAITI MEN AND WOMEN
Al‐Kandari, Y. Y., & Crews, D. E. (2016) · Journal of Biosocial Science · doi:10.1017/s0021932016000596 · Cited by 2
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Metadata
- Authors
- Rosenbloom, C. A., & Whittington, F. J.
- Affiliations
- Georgia State University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Gerontology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1993-07-01
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- S223-S229
- ISSN
- 0022-1422 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2085260930
- Cited by
- 170
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Gerontology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Rural Development Administration
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Keywords
- widowhood, bereavement, dietary habits, nutrient intake, dietary intake, older adults, grief, social environment
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Bereavement, Eating, Female, Humans, Male, Marriage, Middle Aged, Single Person
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