Widows--India--Social conditions

India, a country in transition, is home to over 33 million widows. Historically, Indian widowhood has been associated with victimization and vulnerability. Using Caring Inquiry, a phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology having caring at its center, this study explores the meaning of health and widowhood to 14 older Hindu widows living in urban South India. Shifting attitudes toward widowhood reflect the rapid changes occurring in India as demonstrated by six metathemes (Drawing From Within, Seeking Help and Guidance, Accepting the Role, Challenging Tradition, Serving Others, Finding Companionship) that emerged from study data. The common need to move on with life, articulated by one widow as the "The Show Must Go On," became the foundation for a theory and model of the Meaning of Health and Widowhood for Older Indian Widows. Providing an opportunity for the voices of older Indian widows to be heard through poetic expression and theme identification, research findings are further illuminated by employing Ray's Transcultural Caring in Nursing and Health Care Model linking caring, the central focus of nursing, with Indian culture, ethical principles and religious beliefs. This research's purpose is to advance the body of knowledge relating to older Indian widows' lives and begin an open dialogue about their health experiences and needs. Although Indian widows have been the subject of numerous studies, this is the first to specifically focus on their health. Study recommendations include implementing health promotion strategies for the prevention and management of chronic disease including accurate, low-cost, culturally appropriate health education information, widow-to-widow support groups to help widows with the day-to-day issues they face and meet women with common experiences and establishing networks that provide widows with opportunities to assist others less fortunate. The need for transcultural content in nursing education to prepare nurses transculturally in all areas of nursing practice is discussed as are the study's implications for nursing research. Further study of older Indian widows in other parts of India and within other religious and socio-economic groups is recommended so that a more comprehensive picture can be achieved about widows' lives, health, social needs, and the meaning that widowhood has for them.