Marital biography and health at mid-life.

TitleMarital biography and health at mid-life.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsHughes, MElizabeth, Waite, LJ
JournalJ Health Soc Behav
Volume50
Issue3
Pagination344-58
Date Published2009 Sep
ISSN Number0022-1465
Call Numbernewpubs20090908_Hughes-Waite.pdf
KeywordsFemale, Health Status, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Marital Status, Middle Aged, United States
Abstract

This article develops a series of hypotheses about the long-term effects of one's history of marriage, divorce, and widowhood on health, and it tests those hypotheses using data from the Health and Retirement Study. We examine four dimensions of health at mid-life: chronic conditions, mobility limitations, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms. We find that the experience of marital disruption damages health, with the effects still evident years later; among the currently married, those who have ever been divorced show worse health on all dimensions. Both the divorced and widowed who do not remarry show worse health than the currently married on all dimensions. Dimensions of health that seem to develop slowly, such as chronic conditions and mobility limitations, show strong effects of past marital disruption, whereas others, such as depressive symptoms, seem more sensitive to current marital status. Those who spent more years divorced or widowed show more chronic conditions and mobility limitations.

DOI10.1177/002214650905000307
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19711810?dopt=Abstract

Endnote Keywords

Marital Status/Widowhood/Health/Marital Dissolution

Endnote ID

20880

Alternate JournalJ Health Soc Behav
Citation Key7353
PubMed ID19711810
PubMed Central IDPMC3148098
Grant ListP01 AG 18911 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-05S2 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-04 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-01A1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-04S1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-05S1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-05 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-03S1 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-02 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-05S3 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG018911-03 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States