Technology use may be associated with a lower risk for dementia, study finds
Pair-bonding has been around for a long time, and marriage is still a popular choice when it comes to relationships. But does being a wife or husband actually have an impact on our health? It turns out it does—both in positive, and in not so positive, ways.
Click through the following gallery and find out what are the health pros and cons of being married.
We tend to develop a deep connection with our partners, and even when we argue there is an underlying feeling of empathy for the other person.
"Knowing someone through the highs and lows of their life can allow us to take on a role of a support and confidante and truly be there for someone throughout their lives," says psychologist Briony Leo.
Pair-bonding is a positive thing when it comes to our mental health. When we’re in a relationship with a person at such a level, we’re less likely to feel lonely, isolated, and depressed.
A study comprising 17 nations found that married people are more likely to be happy. But there’s more: a further study conducted in Italy found that those who are married are less likely to take their own lives.
In general, those who are married experienced lower levels of cortisol (stress hormone). This is because their partners may act as a sort of stress buffer by providing ongoing support.
On the other hand, if your marriage is not great, then levels of cortisol will shoot up in response. Stacie Stephenson, a physician specializing in functional and integrative medicine, suggests couples should work out and cook healthy meals together, as a way to increase “camaraderie, support, and bonding.”
Want to boost your immunity? Getting married is an option! It turns out that those who are in happy marriages are more likely to have strong immune systems. This is an effect of lower doses of chronic stress.
An unhappy marriage, on the other hand, could cause the opposite effect. According to a 2018 study, “The multiple stresses of a troubled relationship are depressogenic, and the development of a mood disorder sets the stage for psychological and biological vulnerability. Depression provides a central pathway to immune dysregulation, inflammation, and poor health.”
There is a correlation between cancer patient longevity and marriage. "When we feel bonded with another, we take better care of ourselves, physically and mentally, we bounce back quicker after a health crisis, or traumatic event," explains clinical social worker Deidra Ward.
Early diagnosis through routine exams seem to play a part in better outcomes for patients, and so do a partner’s resources. One study found that “having a highly educated and/or a high earning spouse appears to be beneficial.”
Physical wounds actually heal faster if you’re in a happy marriage. This is because these people are likely to have higher levels of oxytocin and vasopressin.
A 2010 Ohio State University study led by clinical psychologist Jean-Philippe Gouin found that “the hormone oxytocin may be an important link between the quality of our relationships and state of our health."
While testosterone levels start to naturally decline in men at around age 40, according to author Simone Collins, “Love, long-term relationships, and kids” are the main culprits for married men."
Lower testosterone has been linked to loss in motivation, lower libido, lack of muscle mass, and increase of body fat.
A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted in 2018 found that unmarried people are 42% more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease when compared to married people.
In addition to lower cortisol levels and higher oxytocin levels, married people tend to eat healthier diets, work out more, and take fewer risks, when compared to unmarried people. All of these are key in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Unmarried people are at greater risk of developing dementia, when compared to those in marriages. According to a 2019 study, this is true for those who never married, but also for those divorced, widowed, and cohabiting.
This is because married people have higher levels of social engagement, which plays a key role in developing the condition (or, in this case, not developing it). "Married people find their social network through their spouse. Being married increases social integration, which promotes cognitive health," explains Linda Waite, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago.
Life expectancy can actually increase for those in marriages. This is particularly true for men, whose unmarried counterparts are twice as likely to die in comparison.
As for women, they seem to "bear the brunt of marriage's negative health consequences" in bad marriages. Surprisingly, marrying younger men doesn’t seem to do the trick either. The Guardian reported that: “Women who are seven to nine years older than their husbands have a 20% higher mortality rate than if they were the same age.”
Sure, exercising, not smoking, and avoiding pollutants can help our lungs stay healthy. But it turns out that being married may also help. This is because social integration plays a vital role, and people can get this through marriage.
Though the key is really to have as many social relationships as possible. According to a 2014 study, “Different social relationships can be substituted for each other and every added social role improves health.”
The risk of type 2 diabetes among married people is lower, when compared to unmarried people. This might also have to do with the fact that married people are less likely to be obese.
Not only is the risk lower, but it’s also shared by the couple. In a heterosexual relationship, the woman is the main factor at play here. This is likely because food choices are primarily made by wives.
Spouses can pick up each other’s moods. So if you are sad, angry, or happy, your spouse will likely feel the same.
Emotion contagion goes even further when it comes to wives. According to a study, wives experienced more of it when their husbands were suffering. The opposite didn’t occur.
Only abstinence or celibacy can really protect you from catching an STD, but monogamy certainly helps!
Assuming you’re not in an open relationship where one or both of you have sex with other partners, or indeed there are extramarital affairs, then the risk of contracting STDs decreases significantly for married people.
Sources: (Journal of Marriage and Family) (Carnegie Mellon University) (American Psychological Association) (Journal of Clinical Oncology) (Independent.ie) (The Harvard Gazette) (BMJ Journals) (WebMD) (The New York Times) (The Guardian) (Healthy Driven) (Health Digest)
See also: Ask your partner these questions before getting married
Surprising ways marriage can affect your health
All the pros and cons
HEALTH Relationships
Pair-bonding has been around for a long time, and marriage is still a popular choice when it comes to relationships. But does being a wife or husband actually have an impact on our health? It turns out it does—both in positive, and in not so positive, ways.
Click through the following gallery and find out what are the health pros and cons of being married.