Marriage strongly associated with optimal health and well-being in men as they age

A new study that followed more than 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians for about three years found that married men, or men who married during the study period, were twice as likely to age optimally compared to their male peers who had never been married.

Among women, those who had never married were twice as likely to age optimally compared to married respondents who were widowed or divorced during the study period. Married women did not differ significantly from never-married women with respect to aging optimally.

“Little is known about the relationship between marital trajectories in old age and successful aging. Our goal was to see whether different marital trajectories were associated with physical health and well-being, and whether these relationships varied for men and women,” said first author Mabel Ho, a recent PhD fellow in the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Institute of Life Course and Aging.

The researchers defined optimal aging as freedom from serious physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional conditions that impede activities of daily living, as well as high levels of self-reported happiness, good physical health, and mental health. The sample for the current study was limited to the 40% of participants who were considered successful aging at the start of the study.

“Previous studies have shown that marriage is associated with better health outcomes for both men and women, while men who have never been married tend to have the worst health outcomes,” says David Burnes, professor and Canada Research Chair in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. “It may be that married people encourage each other to adopt or maintain positive health behaviors, such as quitting smoking or exercising regularly.”

Older adults who were not socially isolated were more likely to maintain optimal health in old age. Those who had regular contact with family members, friends, and neighbors were more likely to age optimally compared to older adults who were socially isolated.

“Being socially connected to others is important, especially in later life. Regular contact with family members, friends and neighbours can help older adults feel connected, reduce their feelings of loneliness and improve their overall well-being,” says Eleanor Pullenayegum, a Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and a professor at the University of Toronto.

The study also found that lifestyle factors such as maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active, not suffering from insomnia and not smoking are important for maintaining optimal health in later life.

“It’s so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, no matter how old we are. For example, it’s never too late to quit smoking,” said senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging and a professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. “In our study, those who smoked earlier were much more likely to age optimally than those who continued to smoke.”

“Our research underscores the importance of understanding sex-specific differences in aging so we can better support older men and women to continue to thrive in later life,” Ho concluded. “Our findings can inform the development of programs and services to engage and support older adults, particularly those who have never been married or who have experienced widowhood, separation, and divorce in later life.”

This study, entitled “The association between marital status trajectories and successful aging differs by gender: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)” was published online this week in the magazine International Social Work.

It uses longitudinal data from the baseline wave (2011-2015) and the first follow-up wave (2015-2018) of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to examine factors associated with successful aging. The CLSA included 7,641 respondents aged 60 years or older at wave 2 and in excellent health at the baseline wave of data collection.