For many, that caretaker will be a spouse.
But does marriage actually improve life expectancy?
Here’s what the research shows.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images
Marriage was one of the first non-biological factors identified as improving life expectancy.
This complicates research on marriage and health.
As a result, research shows thatpeople who are widowedhave slightly worse health than people who are married.
Now, the widowed are more likely to be isolated.
Perelli-Harris B, Hoherz S, Addo F, et al.
The Role of Childhood Selection Mechanisms and Partnership Characteristics Across Countries.Popul Res Policy Rev.
2014;69(1):53-62. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbt079
