The association between marital status and health is most striking in the youngest age group although it persists throughout the age groups studied.

Marital Status Among Ethnic Groups Varies

The study examined health status and limitations, health conditions and health-related behaviors not only by marital status but also by age, race/ethnicity, and such socioeconomic factors as education and economic status.

Nearly 60 percent of adults are married, 10.4 percent are separated or divorced, 6.6 percent are widowed, 19 percent are never married and 5.7 percent are living with a partner, according to the report. Marital status varies greatly among race/ethnic groups: Approximately 61 percent of white adults, 58 percent of Hispanic adults, and 38 percent of black adults are married, the survey showed.

Married Men Carry More Weight

Overall, married adults are less likely than other adults to be in fair or poor health, report fewer headaches and are less likely to have psychological problems.

Married adults are less likely to be limited in various activities, including work and other activities of daily living. While married people generally are less likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol heavily or be sedentary, married men nonetheless are more likely to be overweight or obese than other men.

Living Together Not the Same

Adults who live in cohabiting relationships are more likely to have health problems than married adults, the survey says, and more closely resemble divorced and separated adults.

The association between marital status and health is most striking in the youngest age group although it persists throughout the age groups studied.

The reasons for better health status among married adults cannot be determined with the cross-sectional data collected in the National Health Interview Survey, the report notes.

The report, “Marital Status and Health: United States, 1999-2002,” is available at the CDC/NCHS website.