Marriage Might Lengthen Life

Study found those who did not have a spouse in their 40s were more than twice as likely to die early

January 11, 2013 RSS Feed Print

"The reasons appear to be related to women's larger social networks," she said. "Women are more likely than men to have a large and diverse group of friends and relatives with whom they share and feel close to. For men, the wife is typically the primary person who serves as a confidant, so that it is often true that a man without a partner has no confidant."

The association seen between marriage and survival in this study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

More information

For more on life expectancy, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.