Older Men: their Social Worlds and Healthy Lifestyles, 1999-2002

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>This study aimed to better understand the social worlds of older men.

It sought to understand masculinity in later life, the nature of older men's social relationships, and factors influencing healthy lifestyles. A particular interest was on the lives of older men who live alone.

The research objectives were:<ul><li>to examine masculinity among older men by focusing on the nature of (a) family support provided to older men, (b) their involvement in social relationships with both older men and women, and (c) participation in formal, leisure and social organisations. These three types of support were examined within the context of older men's differential level of health, living arrangements and other resources</li><li>to examine how these three types of social support relationships are linked to older men's lifestyles (physical activity, smoking and drinking) and their self-assessed health and psychosocial health, focusing on how these differ for older men according to their marital status, health status, class, biography and material resources</li><li>to examine how the social relationships, health-related behaviour and psychosocial health of older men change in response to declining health status and other changed circumstances, including widowhood</li><li>to inform policy by identifying factors which may prevent or delay entry of older men into residential care, and the advisability of providing gender-segregated or gender-integrated social facilities</li></ul>
Semi-structured interviews were conducted men over the age of 65 stratified according to partnership status: 30 married/remarried/cohabiting; 33 widowed; 10 divorced; and 12 never married.

Further information on the study is available from the <a href="http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/ViewAwardPage.aspx?AwardId=843" title="Older Men: ESRC award">ESRC award web page</a>.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Health: personal strategies; attitudes to health professionals; social networks marital status and quality of life; societal attitudes to age and ageing; importance of maintaining a sense of masculinity in later life; retirement and its meanings for self identity.