Table 2.

Descriptive Statistics of Model Variables at Pre- and Post-bereavement between Widow/Widowers and Married Controls

Variable	Widowed Sample (n=396)						Married Sample (n=396)
	Men (n=89)		Women (n=307)		Total		Men (n=89)		Women (n=307)		Total
	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	p*
Body mass index
Pre-bereavementa	26.33	3.61	26.70	4.59	26.61	4.39	25.79	3.26	26.71	4.49	26.48	4.23	0.69
Post-bereavement	26.22	3.81	26.08	4.20	26.11	4.40	26.48	5.51	26.73	4.35	26.37	4.67	0.15
Change	−0.24	4.00	−0.39	4.76	−0.36	4.59	0.82	6.48	−0.16	3.28	0.11	4.38	0.24
Physical functioningb
Pre-bereavement	0.37	0.82	0.59	1.14	0.54	1.08	0.25	1.18	0.53	1.04	0.48	1.08	0.06
Post-bereavement	1.09	2.26	0.79	1.60	0.86	1.77	0.43	0.99	1.11	2.06	0.95	1.89	0.35
Change	0.53	1.75	0.25	1.52	0.31	1.57	0.05	0.71	0.50	1.75	0.39	1.58	0.56
General health statusc
Pre-bereavement	2.87	1.16	2.94	1.09	2.92	1.11	2.67	0.99	2.82	1.07	2.79	1.06	0.07
Post-bereavement	2.96	0.77	3.04	1.27	3.02	1.18	2.75	0.85	2.91	0.89	2.87	0.88	0.44
Change	0.12	1.31	0.12	1.63	0.12	1.57	0.14	0.93	0.11	1.36	0.11	1.27	0.62
Depression (CES-D)
Pre-bereavement	4.02	3.71	5.43	4.91	5.11	4.69	3.40	4.08	4.21	3.89	4.02	3.95	<.01
Post-bereavement	7.54	6.18	7.53	5.81	7.53	5.88	4.02	3.93	5.08	4.34	4.83	4.26	<.01
Change	3.55	6.93	2.45	5.58	2.70	5.92	0.72	4.22	0.80	3.97	0.78	4.03	<.01
Physical activity (kcal)
Pre-bereavement	1378.28	1809.11	1110.36	1496.31	1171.58	1574.70	2627.63	2610.75	1145.46	1385.00	1497.23	1861.23	<.01
Post-bereavement	1532.03	2609.63	914.62	1162.54	4056.36	1629.32	1762.59	2069.09	862.39	1162.26	1071.32	1471.55	0.44
Change	154.79	2462.66	−264.69	1684.39	−168.00	1896.09	−871.00	2438.58	−248.86	1648.55	−397.95	1766.55	0.98

Notes.

^aPre- and post-bereavement refers to the nearest interview visit prior to and following spousal death. The same measurement points were used with the married controls. Among the widowed sample, the average length of time between the nearest prebereavement assessment and death was 761.5 days [2.08 years (SD=387.8); Mdn=762.0 days]. The average length of time between death and the first follow-up assessment was 578.7 days [1.58 years (SD=395.28); Mdn=541.0 days].

^bPhysical functioning (ADL+IADL) was analyzed as a discrete variable because most participants had a value of 0 or 1. Lower ADL+IADL scores indicate greater functional independence.

^cSubjective, Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (Excellent) to 5 (Poor).

^dHigher CES-D scores indicate greater depressive symptoms; range = 0–30.

^*Significant test comparing bereaved and married samples.