New Study Says Married People Live Longer

KPBS | By KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published October 2, 2006 at 8:47 AM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

A new health study says that people who never married tend to die earlier than those divorced, separated, or widowed. Reporter Amita Sharma asks the reports author why.

While researchers may have known for some time that married people tend to live longer than single people, there now is new medical research to back this up. This study is the first to examine this tendency by looking into the people who make up the “unmarried” category. The researchers found that people who never married tend to die earlier than those who were divorced, separated, or widowed. Reporter Amita Sharma talks with UCSD professor Richard Kronick, one of the report’s authors, about why saying “I do” may help you to live longer.

Guest:

Richard Kronick , UCSD Professor of Family and Preventive Medicine

Marital Status and Longevity
in the United States Population Between 1989 and 1997

Never Married

58% more likely to have died than married people living together

Divorced and Separated

27% more likely to have died than married people living together

Widowed

39% more likely to have died than married people living together

New Study Says Married People Live Longer

A new health study says that people who never married tend to die earlier than those divorced, separated, or widowed. Reporter Amita Sharma asks the reports author why.

A new health study says that people who never married tend to die earlier than those divorced, separated, or widowed. Reporter Amita Sharma asks the reports author why.