Antecedents of Gray Divorce: A Life Course Perspective

• Published in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2018-08, Vol.73 (6), p.1022-1031
• Main Authors: Lin, I-Fen, Brown, Susan L, Wright, Matthew R, Hammersmith, Anna M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: The Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1079-5014; 1758-5368
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw164

Abstract Objectives Increasingly, older adults are experiencing divorce, yet little is known about the risk factors associated with divorce after age 50 (termed “gray divorce”). Guided by a life course perspective, our study examined whether key later life turning points are related to gray divorce. Method We used data from the 1998–2012 Health and Retirement Study to conduct a prospective, couple-level discrete-time event history analysis of the antecedents of gray divorce. Our models incorporated key turning points (empty nest, retirement, and poor health) as well as demographic characteristics and economic resources. Results Contrary to our expectations, the onset of an empty nest, the wife’s or husband’s retirement, and the wife’s or husband’s chronic conditions were unrelated to the likelihood of gray divorce. Rather, factors traditionally associated with divorce among younger adults were also salient for older adults. Marital duration, marital quality, home ownership, and wealth were negatively related to the risk of gray divorce. Discussion Gray divorce is especially likely to occur among couples who are socially and economically disadvantaged, raising new questions about the consequences of gray divorce for individual health and well-being.