Marriage is the union between two individuals, which legally unites them economically, socially, and emotionally. There are several advantages as well as disadvantages that accrue from marriages. Firstly, marriage provides individuals with legitimacy for sexual relations. Besides, marriage also provides financial benefits to couples such as reduced taxes as well as legitimatizing issues such as inheritance. Additionally, at a personal level, marriage also provides individuals with companionship and confidants, which works to improve the overall quality of life.
Conversely, there also exist some disadvantages that arise from marriages. For instance, marriage works to limit an individual’s personal space. Besides, as a consequence of marriage, couples have to be involved with members of their partner’s family, which in most instances, provides a source of conflicts and problems. However, despite the forenamed cons, marriage has also been shown to have a positive impact on the overall wellbeing of men. According to a study by Kaplan & Kronick (2006), men in wedlock experience increased longevity as opposed to single men. Essentially, marriage plays an important role in increasing the life expectancy of men by enhancing their health, reducing their propensity to ill health as well as heightening their overall wellbeing.
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Relationship between Marriage and Health
Heart disease has been identified as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with approximately one million individuals succumbing to heart diseases (Dupre & Nelson, 2016). However, it has also been established through research that men continuously in marriage relationships have a reduced propensity of suffering from heart conditions (Dupre & Nelson, 2016). Consequently, it may be posited that marriage increase the life expectancy among men, and the more a man stays married, the greater chances he stands of living longer. Conversely, men who are unmarried or out of wedlock for whatever reason, be it through a divorce or as a consequence of the death of a spouse, have heightened chances of succumbing to heart conditions, thereby reducing their longevity (Compton & Pollak, 2018).
Several factors are attributed to the heightened longevity experienced by men as opposed to their unmarried counterparts. For instance, socioeconomic factors have been illuminated to play a critical role in relation to this phenomenon. As stated earlier, in marriage, there is a shared context in relation to material and financial resources. With this in mind, continuously married men are more likely to experience greater levels of wealth and the accumulation o material resources as opposed to their unmarried counterparts (Addo & Lichter, 2013. Additionally, in terms of financial and material resource stability, divorced men stand a higher risk of facing financial problems, which are usually compounded by dissolution o marriages and the accompanying financial implications. Consequently, these groups of men are at a higher risk of developing heart conditions, which may result in fatalities. Besides, the financial well being of married men also gives them greater access to prescriptions, health insurance, and high-quality health care, which are important aspects in countering and managing the onset of heart diseases (Zuvekas &Taliaferro, 2003).
Psychosocial factors are also important in relation to survival if individuals with heart conditions. According to research, married men have enhanced social support, and overall psychological wellbeing to counter heart conditions as opposed to their unmarried counterparts (Williams & Umberson, 2004)). In essence, the availability of social support as well as coping resources for patients suffering from heart conditions has been shown to have a positive impact on the reduction of mortality rates. With this in mind, unmarried individuals who in practice lack the necessary psychological and emotional support provided by spouses have reduced chances of attaining favorable outcomes and consequently reduced longevity.
Concerning heart conditions, various behavioral factors have been identified to increase the susceptibility of individuals to have heart conditions be they married or not. Primarily, Factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, and diet are causative for heart disease). (Green et al., 2012 It should be noted that the correlation between the forenamed factors and the effect that marriage has on them has not been fully established at present. However, there exists strong evidence linking long and stable marriage to shared obligations and increased social control, which play an essential role in the relegation of behaviors such as smoking and the excessive consumption of alcohol. Moreover, it has also been noted that married couples are more likely to seek medical checkups regularly, which works to help them manages any arising health condition timely than their unmarried counterparts (Kamon et al., 2008). Additionally, as a consequence of marriage, some spouses have also been shown to depict concordant health behaviors that make it more likely for them to maintain a healthier lifestyle and improve their longevity (Di Castelnuovo et al., 2009).
There also exist physiological factors in married men that reduce their susceptibility to succumb to heart conditions as opposed to their unmarried men. Some of the physiological factors associated with increased mortality for heart patients include obesity and subsequent cardiac events. With this in mind, it should be noted that stress levels experienced by unmarried individuals usually provide a background for the development of chronic illnesses that include diabetes, high blood pressure obesity, and recurrent heart attacks (Das, 2013). Consequently, the lack of marital support in instances where individuals suffer from the forenamed chronic illnesses, mortality rates from heart conditions are heightened, reducing the life expectancy.
Apart from the benefits that married men accrue as a result of their marriages in relation to heart illnesses, marriage has also shown to reduce the propensity of spouses to suffer from mental disorders. Primarily, research studies have illuminated that married individuals have heightened levels of emotional and psychological wellbeing as opposed to their unmarried counterparts. For instance, married men have reduced levels of stress hormones (Amato, 2000). With this in mind, the overall wellbeing of married men serves to improve their overall wellbeing and mental improving on their chances of longevity. Furthermore, in relation to mental health, married men portray an enhanced likelihood of satisfaction regarding retirement than their unmarried peers. Marriage also relates to improved cognitive functions and minimal risk of Alzheimer’s syndrome, improving their wellbeing and enhancing their longevity men (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020).
Another area of health in which marriage has been shown to have a positive impact on men is in the treatment and management of cancer. According to recent studies, unmarried persons are more likely to portray advanced signs of cancer at the time of diagnosis as compared to their married counterparts. Additionally, individuals in stable marriages at the time of diagnosis have also been shown to have better survival prospects as opposed to separated, widowed or single individuals at the time of diagnosis. The enhanced survival rates, in this case, emanate from the presence of moral, social, financial, and emotional support that these individuals are attuned to as opposed to their unmarried counterparts. The survival rates for married patients were highlighted by the study carried out by the University of Miami. From this study, men who have cancer for over seventeen years were studied, and the results indicated that married men survived longer than widowers or separated ones (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). Men who had never married displayed a transitional survival rate with researchers from Harvard discovering analogous survival advantages for married men having cancer of the bladder, which is a chiefly male ailment.
The Implication of Marriage on Longevity
A good and successful marriage precipitates into longevity and health, whereas a shattered and stressful one offers an opposite effect, more so for men. Marital conflicts result in elevated stress levels with hormones like adrenaline, raising blood pressure. Such strife also triggers cytokines production that spurs the inflammatory surge into action. Inflammation is a novel documented cardiac intricacy that is common in divorced men as compared to married ones. Additionally, unmarried, widowed, and divorced men eat poorly as compared to married ones. Furthermore, they are likely not to exercise and are prone to develop a smoking and drinking habit in addition to engaging in dangerous behavior. Studies have shown that married men are likely to stop smoking as compared to their married counterparts (Peltonen et al., 2017). Smoking emanates as an unhealthy habit that is life-threatening, and so individuals who engage in it have a lower life expectancy in comparison to those who do not smoke.
On the other hand, married men are most likely to go for constant medical checkups, thus benefit from a higher living standard. Senior citizens with a spouse obtain enhanced preventive care as compared to those living alone or in a nursing home—Depression, loneliness, and isolation results in excess mortality related to divorce and bereavement. A study carried out by Harvard school indicated that isolated men possess a higher risk of dying of heart ailments contrary to men with strong interpersonal relationships. Another research by the New England Research Institute showed that 66 percent of men rely on their wives for primary care, with 21 percent relying on other people (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). Essentially, without a wife, a man’s risk of isolation enhances and, consequently, a shorter life span.
Conclusion
Marriage is a legal union between two individuals that elicits several advantages as well as disadvantages on individuals engaged in it. The benefits connected to marriage vary from protection, companionship, emotional, and moral support that spouses accrue from a marriage, which has been shown to have a positive impact on their health as well as their overall well being. Through the union of marriage, spouses usually have solid financial standing because couples pull their resources together. With this in mind, married individuals are better placed to afford high-quality health care as well as pay for their prescription drugs, which work to increase their overall health and longevity. Additionally, spouses usually provide the necessary social support for patients suffering from chronic or life-threatening diseases. In this regard, apart from the financial strength that married men posses, they also receive emotional and social support from their spouses when countering life-threatening illness reducing their mortality rates and heightening their longevity. Lastly, as a factor for increased longevity, marriage has also been shown to reduce the propensity of individuals to suffer from mental disorders. Primarily\, individuals in marriage have increased levels of self-satisfaction, relegating all negative aspects of mental health such as anxiety and depression, which enables them to experience long and fulfilling lives. In totality, it is evident that marriage, especially among men, is a key driver in enhancing their longevity.
References
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