Widowhood and Mortality: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

The study of spousal bereavement and mortality has long been a major topic of interest for social scientists, but much remains unknown with respect to important moderating factors, such as age, follow-up duration, and geographic region. The present study examines these factors using meta-analysis. Keyword searches were conducted in multiple electronic databases, supplemented by extensive iterative hand searches. We extracted 1,377 mortality risk estimates from 123 publications, providing data on more than 500 million persons. Compared with married people, widowers had a mean hazard ratio (HR) of 1.23 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.19–1.28) among HRs adjusted for age and additional covariates and a high subjective quality score. The mean HR was higher for men (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.19–1.35) than for women (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.08–1.22). A significant interaction effect was found between gender and mean age, with HRs decreasing more rapidly for men than for women as age increased. Other significant predictors of HR magnitude included sample size, geographic region, level of statistical adjustment, and study quality

"Don't mask it, fix it": Distinguishing Characteristics of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Patients with Chronic Pain and their Pathways toward Pain Resolution

The sociological literature on pain and the body largely emphasizes the social and cultural dynamics of suffering. Within this realm, the medical institution is often paramount in regulating how pain is understood and the responses that are appropriate in managing pain. Less is known about other forms of healthcare that treat pain, namely Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). While most research explains the overall “who” of the population of CAM users, few studies address the “why” and the overall effects of using a nonconventional system of medicine. This research is aimed at discerning health beliefs and behaviors that are associated with engaging with a nonconventional system of healthcare and how treatment-seeking differs between patients choosing (CAM) and those choosing conventional medicine. Additionally, this study traces the trajectory of patients’ treatment-seeking behavior and explores whether nonconventional treatment changes outlooks on medicine and other health-related beliefs and behaviors. A mixed method design was used to explore whether CAM users (compared with conventional medicine users) are more likely to possess beliefs associated with CAM. A survey-questionnaire was first distributed to pain patients (n=98) in two health office locations: pain management and acupuncture. Since little is known about CAM users’ decision-making processes, qualitative interviews (n=20) were conducted with people using acupuncture to elaborate on the survey results. Statistically significant differences were found among pain management and acupuncture users on measures of proactivity, medication use, and patient-centered care. Additionally, qualitative findings showed that most acupuncture users were initially skeptical of this nonconventional treatment and gradually grew to use it for ailments beyond pain. At the same time, they grew to value the time and intimacy that was shared with their acupuncturist, who often engaged them in holistic approaches to health. The findings suggest strong discontent and resistance to conventional forms of treatment, which were found to be non-validating of pain experiences of patients and their desires to find non-pharmaceutical solutions for pain. This research proposes that CAM patients are demonstrating their ability to make choices on their own behalf without the approval of traditional medical experts and suggests implications for this new autonomy