Thursday, December 16, 2004
Study: Married Adults Healthier Than Most
Confirming what many couples already knew, a government study from the National Center for Health Statistics concludes it's healthy to be married.
"Overall, this association between marital status and health persists regardless of socio-economic status, education and poverty, where people were born or their ethnicity," health statistician Charlotte Schoenborn said.
"In general, married adults were the least likely to experience health problems and the least likely to engage in risky health behaviors, with the notable exception of being overweight," Schoenborn wrote.
In addition to reporting better health overall, the study found that married people said they had less low back pain, fewer headaches and less psychological stress. They also were less likely to drink and smoke and were more physically active than people in general.
However, they're not immune to the weight problems plaguing America.
Currently more than half of all adults are overweight or obese - 56.7 percent - the center said.
An association between marriage and health was first reported in the 1970s.
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