Sex and Marital Status Differences in Death Anxiety

Abstract

Previous research in death anxiety has suggested that marital roles, and especially the male's role as the family provider, influence the sex differences in death attitudes. This study investigated the effect of marital roles by comparing sex differences in death anxiety scores of married persons with and without children, and of single persons. In addition, twenty demographic covariates were investigated to observe their possible effect on death anxiety. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that marital status was not significantly related to death anxiety. However, single males were found to have significantly higher death anxiety than single females. Whether a family member or friend had died in the last year, education, race, age, and religious preference were also significantly related.