Established
statistics have generally recorded better health for married people. Now
Cardus, www.cardus.ca,
reports a recent study of 50 published empirical medical studies by Susan
Martinuk, a medical researcher and research-based writer. It not only confirms
previous studies, but also shows marriage can improve sickness recovery, even
cancer survival.
In
one large study of 735,000 people, married cancer patients lived 20 per cent
longer. In five common cancers, patients survived better when married than
resorting to chemotherapy. This is in addition to the better welfare of
children to the marriage and happiness for all members of the family.
Martinuk
was astonished by the dramatic results of her study, and surprised at how
overwhelmingly positive marriage is for personal health and well-being. She
says, “I had expected there would be far more contrary reports but when I went
through all the reports to provide both sides of the story, there’s really not
very much for the other side.”
Here are some health
advantages to married people from numerous studies:
Higher likelihood of recovering from
cancer
Lower
risk of suffering a heart attack
Better
odds of surviving a heart attack
Quicker
recovery from illness
Healthier
habits and lifestyles
Better
responses to psychological stress
In addition, those
in high satisfaction marriages reduce the increased risk of:
Blood pressure
Risk
of heart disease
Depression
Time
needed for healing of physical wounds
Levels
of stress hormones
Reduced
immune function
So “till
death do us part” could well delay death, a positive effect for those in good
marriages. However, we should not consider this a disparagement of singleness.
Paul reminds us that singleness can provide clearer focus, “An unmarried man
(or woman) is concerned about the Lord's affairs,” whereas “a married man (or
woman) is also concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his
wife (or husband). 1 Corinthians 7:32.
Marriage
is a private choice, but it has public consequences, just as marriage is on
public record as the couple who will be responsible for children of the
marriage. Marriage is important for the public sphere also, particularly for
outcomes of the public health system.
For
instance, practicing physicians may treat married people differently based on
their marriage status and its satisfaction level. Such a dramatic difference
between married and singles about health should inform any medical treatment he
advises.
Policy
makers can also factor in this discussion. If marriage is empirically good for
for health, it is also beneficial to the health system, to both quality of care
and better use of resources. Of particular importance is the education of
children and youths. Promotion of marriage should be part of the school
curriculum to promote better health .
As you are
probably aware, some Canadian jurisdictions are promoting the opposite agenda,
especially in Alberta and Ontario. Already, the Ontario government is currently
passing a bill to outlaw “mother” and “father” from official language.
So, if you
want to live longer and healthier, get married!
