Living arrangement trajectories and extreme longevity

How socio-demographic characteristics could explain extreme longevity? In this contribution we consider beside age and sex the matrimonial history and the living arrangement trajectory. Data used are extracted from the continuous registration system in Belgium. Compared to longitudinal surveys, administrative data are also suitable for longitudinal studies. They give less information but include the date of death with the situation of the person at death. The method used is survival analysis. 3000 Belgian centenarians are concerned including 659 men. Most centenarians were widowed at death, few were still married while 274 women and 32 men were never married. Among female centenarians, 55% were younger compared to their husband while for male centenarians, 81% were older. Early widowhood favours longevity for women but not for men. For living arrangement, more than half of the centenarians were institutionalized at death but the timing of their entry in nursing home is later compared to the total population. Living in married couple is protective but being single and living alone is also profitable for women only. Concerning the impact of the living arrangement trajectory on survival to extreme ages, living in institution increases mortality risk but this effect decreases at older ages.