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Marital Partner and Mortality: The Effects of the Social Positions of Both Spouses

Author

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  • Erikson, Robert

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University)

  • Torssander, Jenny

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University)

Abstract

Background Individual education, social class, social status and income are all associated with mortality, and this is likewise the case for the position of the marital partner. We investigate the combined effect on mortality of own and partner’s positions regarding these four factors. Methods Prospective follow-up of information in the 1990 Census of the Swedish population aged 30-59 (N=1 502 148). Data on all-cause mortality and deaths from cancer and circulatory disease for the period 1991-2003 were collected from the Cause of Death Register. Relative mortality risks were estimated by Cox regression. Results All-cause mortality of both men and women differs by women’s education and status and by men’s social class and income. Men’s education has an effect on their own mortality but not on their partner’s, when other factors are included in the models. Women’s education and men’s social class are particularly important for women’s deaths from circulatory diseases. Conclusions The partner’s social position has a clear effect on individual mortality, and women’s education seems to be particularly important. The results appear above all to support hypotheses about the importance of lifestyle and economic resources for socio-economic differences in mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Erikson, Robert & Torssander, Jenny, 2009. "Marital Partner and Mortality: The Effects of the Social Positions of Both Spouses," Working Paper Series 5/2009, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:sofiwp:2009_005
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    File URL: http://www.sofi.su.se/content/1/c6/03/09/74/WP09no5.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Kilpi, Fanny & Konttinen, Hanna & Silventoinen, Karri & Martikainen, Pekka, 2015. "Living arrangements as determinants of myocardial infarction incidence and survival: A prospective register study of over 300,000 Finnish men and women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 93-100.
    2. Adriaan Kalwij & Rob Alessie & Marike Knoef, 2013. "The Association Between Individual Income and Remaining Life Expectancy at the Age of 65 in the Netherlands," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(1), pages 181-206, February.
    3. Johan Dahlberg, 2015. "Social Background and Becoming a Parent in Sweden: A Register-Based Study of the Effect of Social Background on Childbearing in Sweden," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 31(4), pages 417-444, October.
    4. Hoffmann, Rasmus & Kröger, Hannes & Tarkiainen, Lasse & Martikainen, Pekka, 2019. "Dimensions of Social Stratification and Their Relation to Mortality: A Comparison Across Gender and Life Course Periods in Finland," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 145(1), pages 349-365.
    5. Dustin Brown & Robert Hummer & Mark Hayward, 2014. "The Importance of Spousal Education for the Self-Rated Health of Married Adults in the United States," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(1), pages 127-151, February.
    6. Torssander, Jenny, 2014. "Adult children's socioeconomic positions and their parents' mortality: A comparison of education, occupational class, and income," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 148-156.
    7. Gwenn Menvielle & Julien Dugas & Jeanna-eve Franck & Matthieu Carton & Brigitte Trétarre & Isabelle Stücker & Danièle Luce, 2018. "Occupational prestige trajectory and the risk of lung and head and neck cancer among men and women in France," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(7), pages 833-845, September.
    8. Rasmus Hoffmann & Hannes Kröger & Lasse Tarkiainen & Pekka Martikainen, 2019. "Dimensions of Social Stratification and Their Relation to Mortality: A Comparison Across Gender and Life Course Periods in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(1), pages 349-365, August.
    9. Jenny Torssander, 2013. "From Child to Parent? The Significance of Children’s Education for Their Parents’ Longevity," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(2), pages 637-659, April.
    10. Lamu, Admassu N. & Chen, Gang & Olsen, Jan Abel, 2023. "Amplified disparities: The association between spousal education and own health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    11. Gugushvili, Alexi & Zhao, Yizhang & Bukodi, Erzsébet, 2019. "‘Falling from grace’ and ‘rising from rags’: Intergenerational educational mobility and depressive symptoms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 294-304.

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