Research has demonstrated that social relationships directly affect the individual’s health. Individuals with fewer social ties are more likely to experience adverse health effects. Marriage is often one of the strongest social ties that an individual will experience in his or her life. Yet, the benefits of marriage of the individual’s health are strong for men than they are women. Some hypothesize that gender related behaviors directly influence why married men have better health outcomes than married women. Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton (2001) expands on this in noting that women tend “to control others’ health” (p. 472). The authors further argue that marital disruption presents similar findings, as men tend to do worse health wise than women.
In further exploring gender related health outcomes for both men and women, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton (2001) argue that marital distress can cause adverse physical effects on the individual. Often, individuals with poor marital relationships exhibit symptoms of depression. In comparing individuals with marital problems to single people, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton found that single people tend to be happier than those that are not happily married. In further seeking to determine how marriage influences both male and female health outcomes, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton explored previous research and derived themes.
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"Marriage and Health Outcomes".
In reviewing health outcomes associated with marriage, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton found three main themes. The first theme focused on the biopsychological aspect of marriage. This biopsychological pathway outlines “physiological pathways leading from the marital relationship to the physical health outcomes, along with the role of depression, health habits and trait hostility” (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001, p. 473). In expanding on the role of biopsychological pathways, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton (2001) further found that gender has not received significant attention in scholarly research. Despite the lack of attention given to this subject, gender is believed to impact how the individual handles stress. Since males and females tend to exhibit coping behaviors, this may serve as an explanation as to why males and females exhibit different health outcomes. However, not all research supports a biopsychological pathway is present. In contrast, ‘the social strain-social support hypothesis’ argues that marriage can have both positive and negative effects on the individual (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001, p. 474).
In applying the health differences based on the individual’s martial happiness, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton (2001) explored various studies to determine how marital dissatisfaction influences the individual’s health. In one study, researchers found that individuals with higher levels of marital dissatisfaction reported more oral health problems than their happily married counterparts. In a separate study, researchers were able to demonstrate that the role of marital satisfaction directly impacts the severity of symptoms individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis experience.
Other studies have found that women tended to report higher levels of stress when marital conflict is occurring. One study determined that women are more likely to report blood pressure fluctuations in periods of marital conflict or stress (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001). This may in part explain why married males are more likely to exhibit stronger health benefits than married females.
The way the individual perceives his or her marriage is another factor that is believed to influence the individual’s health. Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton (2001) discuss two studies that required participants to rate their relationship with their husband and then discuss medical conditions they suffer from. In reviewing the results, females that described their relationship with their husband as positive were less likely to suffer from adverse health conditions.
Although marriage has been shown to have health benefits, these benefits may be influenced by the quality of marriage the couple experiences. Individuals with higher levels of marital conflict or stress may not exhibit the same health outcomes as happily married couples. Despite this prospect, males have been shown to benefit more physically from being married. Although there were conflicting findings in this review, Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton believe that the female’s desire to care for others directly influences why married males have better health outcomes than their unmarried counterparts.
- Kiecolt-Glaser J.K., Newton T.L. (2001) Marriage and Health: His and Hers. Psychological Bulletin 127 (4) 472-5-3.
