A troubled marriage may speed the decline in health
that comes with age, a study has found.
While research shows that married people often
enjoy better health than singles do, a number of
studies have suggested that an unhappy marriage
can take a major health toll. Some, for example,
have found a higher rate of heart disease among
people who are dissatisfied with their marriage.
This latest study, published in the Journal of
Health and Social Behavior, suggests that marital
strain may be particularly damaging to older adults'
health.
Lead researcher Dr. Debra Umberson said it's the
first study she's aware of to look at whether the
health effects of marital problems differ depending
on age.
Umberson, who chairs the sociology department at
the University of Texas-Austin, said there are several
reasons that older adults could be more vulnerable
to marital woes.
Similar to the case with smoking, she stated, chronic
stress can have a cumulative effect on health over
the years. Add to that the fact that older adults
are more susceptible to these effects due to age-related
declines in immune function and a higher rate of
health problems such as heart disease.
Umberson and her colleagues based their findings
on data from a survey of U.S. adults begun in 1986.
They focused on 1,049 men and women who were interviewed
at three points over eight years and remained married
throughout that time.
Study participants answered questions on marital
quality -- including whether their spouse made them
feel "loved and cared for" and listened to their
concerns, and whether they had frequent disagreements
and conflicts.
They were also asked to rate their physical health
on a range from "poor" to "excellent."
Overall, the study found, men and women who reported
more marital strain also reported a steeper decline
in their health over time. But when the researchers
separated study participants into three age groups
- those ages 30, 50 and 70 at the study's start
- only the oldest group showed negative health effects.
Similarly, only older adults showed health benefits
from a happy marriage.
"Unhappily married individuals have yet another
reason to identify marital difficulties and seek
to improve marital quality," Umberson and her colleagues
conclude. "Their very health may depend on it."
Professional counseling is one of the best options
for addressing marital woes, according to Umberson.
But, she noted, older adults may be less open to
marriage counseling, and they might be more comfortable
speaking with someone they trust, such as a minister
or pastor.
SOURCE: Journal of Health and Social Behavior,
March 2006.
