Staying single may shorten life span

Staying single all your life may not be good for your health.

That's the conclusion of new research that shows that people who never marry face an even greater chance of dying early than people who have been divorced, separated or widowed. All of these groups had shorter survival prospects than people who were currently married.

The effect held true across all age groups, even younger ones, the researchers noted.

"This seems to happen all the way along," said lead researcher Robert Kaplan, professor of the department of health services at the University of California, School of Public Health.

His team published the findings in the September issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Previous research had found a connection between being married and a longer life expectancy and, more specifically, between being married and a lower incidence of heart disease. Marriage is considered a rough proxy for "social connectedness," which experts believe can help people live longer.

Most of these studies, however, haven't distinguished between people who are separated, divorced or widowed and those who have never been married.

"We're getting at never-married people," Kaplan said. "That hasn't been looked at as much."

The authors argued that widowed and divorced people are more likely to have children and are thus more likely to be socially connected. Never-married people would not have these benefits.

all the way along : ×ÔʼÖÁÖÕ