Summary of Marital Status and Health Report
Report by US Department of Health and Human Services indicates that married adults are healthier than other adults.
The recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services--Marital Status and Health: United State, 1999-2002--indicates clearly that, when health measures are considered in terms of marital status, married adults are consistently healthier than any other adult demographic group. The DHHS found that married adults are healthiest, and widowed adults are least healthy. Single, divorced/separated and cohabiting individuals fall somewhere in between married and widowed people. Married individuals fared better in general health scores:
They had fewer limitations in daily activities and in physical or social functioning. They were less likely to:
- suffer from severe psychological stress
- have a physically inactive lifestyle
- smoke cigarettes
- engage in heavy alcohol use
- struggle with obesity
- suffer from headaches
In each of the indicators, unless specifically noted, there was little difference between men and women or between adults of different ethnic origins. Overall, marital status and age were the determining health factors. The report does not explain the significance of choosing these particular measures of well-being, but it may be that the authors saw them as representative.
General health
Across all age groups, more married adults reported good general health than those in any other marital status group. Widowed adults reported the poorest health, though the gap between married and widowed adults decreased significantly in older age groups. In the 18- to 44–year-old range, married adults were three times as likely to report good health; in the 65-and-over age range, the difference was only slight. Divorced/separated and never-married adults were in between.
Limitations in activities of daily living
Across all age groups, adults who were divorced/separated or never married were more than twice as likely as married people to be limited in daily activities (bathing, dressing, shopping, chores, etc.). Widowed people were more than three times as likely to have these limitations. Married and cohabiting adults, however, were similar in this health indicator— the only area in which there was such similarity between those married and those cohabiting. In every other case (with the exception of obesity; see below), married adults were far healthier than cohabiting adults.
Limitations in physical or social functioning
For adults 45 years old and older, married adults had the lowest rate of limitation in physical or social functioning (walking, climbing, carrying, etc.), and widowed adults had the highest rates. In the 18- to 44-year-old range, never-married adults had the lowest limitation rate, followed by married adults.
Severe psychological stress
Regarding severe psychological stress, in the 18- to 44-year-old range, the differences between marital status groups were apparent: 9.5 percent of widowed adults, 6 percent of divorced/ separated adults, 3.6 percent of cohabiting adults, 2.5 percent of never married adults and 1.9 percent of married adults suffered from severe psychological stress. In the older age groups, the gap lessened but remained.
Health-related behaviors
Physical inactivity in leisure time
Overall, married adults were the most active in their leisure time, and widowed adults were the least active. However, in the 18- to 44-year-old group, adults who had never been married were the most active.
Cigarette smoking
Overall, married adults were about half as likely to smoke as divorced/separated and cohabiting adults.
Heavy alcohol use
Overall, cohabiting adults were the most likely to use alcohol heavily. Among males, married men had the lowest rate, followed by never-married men, then divorced/separated and widowed men. For women, only those cohabiting had a significantly higher rate.
Obesity
This is the one health condition that does not follow the pattern. Overall, married, middle-age men had the highest obesity rate, followed closely by divorced men. Among women, those cohabiting had the lowest rate, followed closely by never-married and married women.
Headaches
This health indicator differed for men and women. Women who had never been married were the least likely to suffer from headaches, followed by married women, then divorced/separated and cohabiting women. Married men were the least likely to get headaches, followed by never-married and cohabiting men.
Conclusion
With the exception of obesity the evidence indicates that married adults are healthier overall than any other marital-status group. This is especially true among younger adults, where the differences between married and unmarried adults are more pronounced. Clearly, we are designed to be healthy and happy in the state of marriage. Just as clearly, we are not designed to handle divorce and separation.
Find out more on the health benefits of marriage for adults and children.
Kjersten Oligney is a history major from Houston Baptist University. She is an assistant researcher and writer for Social Research and Cultural Affairs at Focus on the Family
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