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The current study examines whether widowed persons engage in health-related coping strategies (H-RCS) (ie. smoking, drinking, and physical inactivity) as an initial result of spousal loss. It is hypothesized that widowed persons with greater levels of social support, religiosity, income, and self-efficacy will be less likely to engage in health-related coping behaviors than their counterparts. Utilizing secondary data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) study, the proposed relationship between widowhood and health-related coping strategies is examined across three available waves of panel data collected 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months after spousal loss. Findings from the current study may serve to provide a model for positive adjustment to spousal loss.

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Dr. Nuriddin is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Howard University in Washington, DC. Currently, she teaches several courses including Medical Sociology, The Family, and Health Services Research. Her broader research focuses on social inequality, mental health, coping behavior, and the health status of vulnerable populations.

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