Spousal co-residence and health in married Indian adults aged 60+ (LASI 2017–18)
In LASI Wave 1, currently married Indian adults aged 60 and above whose spouses lived away had higher odds of sleep problems and tobacco use, while those living with spouses had higher odds of depression; co-residence was not significantly linked to functional disability, social well-being indicators or alcohol use after adjustment. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study used Longitudinal Ageing Study in India Wave 1 data from 2017–18 on 20,209 currently married adults aged 60 and above. [1]
Older adults whose spouses lived away had significantly higher odds of sleep problems and tobacco use. [1]
Those living with spouses had higher odds of depression, while co-residence was not significantly linked to functional disability, social well-being indicators or alcohol use after adjustment. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of an observational study using cross-sectional survey data (LASI Wave 1).
- Population / context
- Currently married adults aged 60 years and above in India.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- August 19, 2026
Married Indians 60+ in LASI Wave 1
The study asked how living with a spouse relates to health, social well-being and substance use among currently married older adults in India. Data came from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1, collected in 2017–18, and covered 20,209 individuals aged 60 years and above. The authors frame this against India's rapidly ageing population.
Supporting source [1]
Sleep, tobacco and depression differed by co-residence
Outcomes included sleep problems, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, depression, ill-treatment, discrimination, crime victimization, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Older adults whose spouses lived away had significantly higher odds of sleep problems and tobacco use. Those living with their spouses had higher odds of depression. After adjustment, spousal co-residence was not significantly associated with functional disability, social well-being indicators or alcohol consumption.
Supporting source [1]
Poorer outcomes for women, rural and less-educated adults
Females, rural residents, less educated and unemployed older adults consistently experienced poorer outcomes across multiple health and social domains. The authors conclude that spousal co-residence matters for selected health outcomes and that socioeconomic factors also play a role. They suggest policies for healthy ageing should strengthen family support systems and adopt gender-sensitive approaches. These are associations from one survey wave, not evidence that co-residence causes the outcomes.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is an analysis of one survey wave (LASI Wave 1, 2017–18), so the reported associations do not establish causation or change over time.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Nagdeve D. · europepmc.org · August 19, 2026