WI25-07: Economic Disparities in Widowhood by Race, Gender, and Marital Status: A Mixed-Methods Study of Older Adults who Lost a Partner to Cancer

The death of a partner has long been recognized as a significant threat to the economic security of older adults. In this study, we ask: What are the processes through which a partner’s death affect the economic security of the surviving older adult? What are the financial consequences of a partner’s death on the surviving older adult, and how do they differ by race and gender? We focus on a single cause of death (cancer) that is a costly and common cause of death in older age. We first conduct in-depth interviews with a sample of older adults who lose a partner to cancer to investigate the structures and processes that lead to financial distress. We then leverage demographic, health, and credit data of all Ohioans ages 50 and older diagnosed with cancer and their partners between 2016 and 2022. We analyze trends in financial distress for surviving older adults before and after a partner’s cancer diagnosis and death—with a focus on heterogeneity in trends by race, gender, and marital status. Taken together, the findings from our mixed methods study will shed light on points of intervention to improve the economic security of vulnerable older adults and reduce disparities in retirement security.