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The influence of social relations on mortality in later life: a study on elderly Danish twins
- Authors:
- RASULO Domenica, CHRISTENSEN Kaare, TOMASSINI Cecilia
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 45(5), October 2005, pp.601-608.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The authors examined whether the presence of a spouse and the frequency of interaction with children, relatives, and friends significantly influence the risk of dying in late life. They assessed these effects separately by gender, controlling for self-reported health. In addition, whether interaction with the co-twin has a different impact on mortality for identical and fraternal twins was examined. The data set consists of 2,147 Danish twins aged 75 years and older, who were followed prospectively from 1995 to 2001. The results found that survival is extended by having a spouse and close ties with friends and the co-twin. However, contact frequency with friends and the co-twin is significant, respectively, only for women and identical twins. The results stress the importance of social relations beyond the presence of the spouse for survival even at very old ages.