Single people do not live long

Living alone has its own appeal and freedom, but people who never marry will have a shorter life than their married peers. The positive impact of marriage on health and longevity has been shown by previous works, but recent research only looks at people who are never married.

The team from the University of Los Angeles, California (USA) reviewed the National Health Survey in 1989 and the National Mortality Index in 1997. In the 89 survey, nearly half of the respondents married, about 10% widowed, 12% divorced, 3% separated, 5% living with lovers, and 20% never married.

(Photo: Freephotoserver) In the study period 8 years later, the group never married had a 58% more death rate than married people. The widow group has a 40% higher death rate than the married group, while the divorce or separation group has a 27% higher death rate. Living alone for a lifetime is not good for your health or your longevity, the researchers concluded. Even so, the team cannot point out what is the cause, the outcome.

And other researchers said it might be a chicken-egg question again. Whether single status leads to declining health, or "because they are not healthy, do they live alone?".

Marriage is better for men

Patrick Markey, a professor assistant at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and his wife studied the theme of marriage to health. They learn more than 2,200 adults, all of whom participate in the New Jersey Health Survey, and find " healthier " men who are also married.

"Marriage is better for men than women , " Markey said. Of course, both sexes benefit from this. "I guess maybe her aunts (married) reminded men about health training," Markey commented.

And why can single women remain healthy despite their lack of marriage? Markey said "single women tend to have a better social network" , so they have people to share when needed rather than guys.

T. An