Widowhood, Social Participation, and Gender: A Moderated Mediation Model of Healthy Ageing among Indian Adults

Widowhood is a major life-course transition with implications for health in later life. Using the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (Wave 1), this paper examines the association between widowhood and healthy ageing, with social participation as a mediator and gender as a moderator. Among 64,335 adults aged 45+, widowhood was associated with poorer healthy ageing. Widowhood increased the likelihood of low social participation, which in turn reduced healthy ageing scores. This indirect pathway was significantly stronger among women than men, indicating pronounced gender disparities. These findings highlight the need for gender-responsive, socially supportive interventions to promote healthy ageing in India.