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How Does Marriage Affect Physical and Psychological Health? A Survey of the Longitudinal Evidence

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Author Info
Chris M. Wilson (University of East Anglia)
Andrew J. Oswald () (University of Warwick, Harvard University and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

This paper examines an accumulating modern literature on the health benefits of relationships like marriage. Although much remains to be understood about the physiological channels, we draw the judgment, after looking across many journals and disciplines, that there is persuasive longitudinal evidence for such effects. The size of the health gain from marriage is remarkable. It may be as large as the benefit from giving up smoking.

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File URL: ftp://repec.iza.org/RePEc/Discussionpaper/dp1619.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1619.

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Length: 32 pages
Date of creation: May 2005
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1619

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Related research
Keywords: mortality; health; marriage; happiness; longitudinal;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General
I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Production

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2000. "Well-Being Over Time in Britain and the USA," NBER Working Papers 7487, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Gardner, Jonathan & Oswald, Andrew, 2004. "How is mortality affected by money, marriage, and stress?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 1181-1207, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Jonathan Gardner & Andrew J. Oswald, 2006. "Do divorcing couples become happier by breaking up?," Journal Of The Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 169(2), pages 319-336. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Cem Mete, 2005. "Predictors of elderly mortality:health status, socioeconomic characteristics and social determinants of health," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(2), pages 135-148. [Downloadable!]
  5. Alois Stutzer & Bruno S. Frey, . "Does Marriage Make People Happy, Or Do Happy People Get Married?," IEW - Working Papers iewwp143, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics - IEW. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2004. "Money, Sex, and Happiness: An Empirical Study," NBER Working Papers 10499, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Andrew Clark & Ed Diener & Yannis Georgellis & Richard E. Lucas, 2003. "Lags and Leads in Life Satisfaction: A Test of the Baseline Hypothesis," DELTA Working Papers 2003-14, DELTA (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Richard E. Lucas & Andrew Clark & Yannis Georgellis & Ed Diener, 2002. "Re-Examining Adaptation and the Setpoint Model of Happiness: Reactions to Changes in Marital Status," DELTA Working Papers 2002-08, DELTA (Ecole normale supérieure). [Downloadable!]
  9. Di Tella, Rafael & MacCulloch, Robert J. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2001. "The Macroeconomics of Happiness," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 615, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Linda J. Waite & Evelyn L. Lehrer, 2003. "The Benefits from Marriage and Religion in the United States: A Comparative Analysis," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 29(2), pages 255-275. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Chun, Hyunbae & Lee, Injae, 2001. "Why Do Married Men Earn More: Productivity or Marriage Selection?," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(2), pages 307-19, April.
  12. Lillard, L.A. & Waite, L.J., 1993. "'Til Death Do Us Part: Marital Disruption and Mortality," Papers 93-10, RAND - Labor and Population Program.
  13. Reed, W Robert & Harford, Kathleen, 1989. "The Marriage Premium and Compensating Wage Differentials," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 237-65.
  14. Costa Dora L., 1993. "Height, Weight, Wartime Stress, and Older Age Mortality: Evidence from the Union Army Records," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 424-449, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Powdthavee, Nattavudh, 2004. "Testing For Utility Interdependence In Marriage : Evidence From Panel Data," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 705, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Avner Ahituv & Robert I. Lerman, 2005. "How Do Marital Status, Wage Rates, and Work Commitment Interact?," IZA Discussion Papers 1688, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Thomas L. Hungerford, 2002. "The Persistence of Hardship Over the Life Course," Economics Working Paper Archive 367, Levy Economics Institute, The. [Downloadable!]
  4. repec:ese:iserwp: is not listed on IDEAS
  5. Lixin Cai, 2007. "The Relationship between Health and Labour Force Participation: Evidence from a Panel Data Simultaneous Equation Model," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2007n01, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
  6. Ianina Rossi & Fernanda Tellechea & Fiorella Tramontin & Patricia Triunfo, 2007. "El estado de salud de los uruguayos," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 34(1 Year 20), pages 73-96, June. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. William M. Rodgers III & Leslie S. Stratton, 2005. "The Male Marital Wage Differential: Race, Training, and Fixed Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 1745, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  8. Xavi Ramos, 2005. "Using Efficiency Analysis to Measure Individual Well-Being with an Illustration for Catalonia," IZA Discussion Papers 1748, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. Liam Graham & Andrew J. Oswald, 2006. "Hedonic Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 2079, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Lixin Cai & Guyonne Kalb, 2005. "Health Status and Labour Force Status of Older Working-Age Australian Men," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2005n09, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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