Acceptance of Love and Remarriage Among Older Adults in the Philippines

Abstract

Objectives: Later-life re-partnership has been linked to healthy aging, but little is known about Philippine older adults’ perception of love and remarriage in older age. Methods: Using two nationally representative surveys on aging in the Philippines, we estimated the proportion of older adults reporting acceptance. Using weighted logistic regression, we assessed sociodemographic and health factors associated with acceptance as well as the relationship of this acceptance with social activity and health behaviors. Results: Only seventeen percent of respondents reported acceptance. Per multivariable analyses, unmarried men and married women reported acceptance, and acceptance was associated with increased social activity and smoking in men, less smoking in women, and more drinking in both genders. Discussion: Most older adults in the Philippines reported love and remarriage in old age as unacceptable. Through these results, we can understand how attitudes toward later-life relationship impact older adults’ health and well-being.