Marital status, marital transitions, and health: a gendered life course perspective

Abstract

We work from a life course perspective to assess the impact of marital status and marital transitions on subsequent changes in the self-assessed physical health of men and women. Our results suggest three central conclusions regarding the association of marital status and marital transitions with self-assessed health. First, marital status differences in health appear to reflect the strains of marital dissolution more than they reflect any benefits of marriage. Second, the strains of marital dissolution undermine the self-assessed health of men but not women. Finally, life course stage is as important as gender in moderating the effects of marital status and marital transitions on health.

FIGURE 1

Estimated Probability of Excellent or Very Good Self-Assessed Health at Time 2 among the Continually Widowed and Continually Married, by Age and Gender Note: Model controls for the Time 1 values of health, age, income, education, race, and employment status, and for the number of months elapsed between Time 1 and Time 2.

FIGURE 2

Estimated Percentage Point Change in the Probability of Excellent or Very Good Health (Time 1-Time 2) Associated with the Transition to Divorce by Age and Gender Note: Model controls for the Time 1 values of health, age, income, education, race, and employment status, and for the number of months elapsed between Time 1 and Time 2.

FIGURE 3

Estimated Percentage Point Change in the Probability of Excellent or Very Good Health (Time 1-Time 2) Associated with the Transition to Widowhood by Age, Duration, and Gender Note: Model controls for the Time 1 values of health, age, income, education, race, and employment status, and for the number of months elapsed between Time 1 and Time 2. Because duration does not significantly moderate the association of marital status with health among women, the regression line is plotted at the mean duration of 24 months for women.

FIGURE 4

Estimated Percentage Point Change in the Probability of Excellent or Very Good Health (Time 1-Time 2) Associated with the Transition to Remarriage, by Age and Gender Note: Model controls for the Time 1 values of health, age, income, education, race, and employment status, and for the number of months elapsed between Time 1 and Time 2.