Feeling Sick? How's Your Marriage?

A new study from Duke and the University Of Chicago looked at the long-term health consequences of people who are married, divorced, widowed, remarried, and single.

What researchers found is that people who had a disruption of marriage, like divorce or death, were in worse health than those who remained married. The quality of the marriage was also important to good health, with people in poor marriages in worse health than those in good marriages.

The study looked at health factors like depression, chronic disease and restricted mobility. The strongest link was found between chronic disease that develops over time, like diabetes or cancer, in people who had a disruption in marriage. This builds on previous research by the same team that showed more health problems in people who lived in extended family households where they were more likely to be caregivers for grandparents or grandchildren.
CBSnews.com