Does marital status influence cognitive dysfunctions among elderly in India? An enquiry through gender lens

The process of population ageing probably represents one of the most daunting challenges in the 21st century. Previous studies have noted differential positive effects of marital status on physical and cognitive health status of elderly. This study attempts to test the hypothesis of poor cognitive status (elevated risk of depression and hypertension) among widowed/separated/single elderly men as compared to elderly women in selected Indian states. The data for the present study comes from the World Health Organization sponsored Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE-India) survey carried out by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), which covered 10,000 households. The sample size has been restricted to 3,294 elderly (men and women) aged 60+ years. The results suggest that widowed/divorced/separated elderly men were at an elevated risk of cognitive dysfunction as compared to elderly women. Large inequalities in access to material, health and social resources between elderly men and women are evident in India. Thus, there is a need for policies to specifically address the dimensions in the physical and mental health of aged.