Marriage, which has been around for thousands of years, can have surprising health benefits. Researchers of a large study done in the US show that married people are less likely to develop cancer than those who have never married, reports CNN.
“It's almost like we're divided into two different societies,” said Dr. Andrew J. Cherlin, a professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University who studies the sociology of families, noting the advantages that marriage can provide.
The study, published April 8 in the journal Cancer Research Communications, examined the cancer diagnoses of more than 4 million adults in 12 US states.
Thus, the researchers found that, among unmarried men, cancer rates are 68% higher than among married men, a group that also includes those who are divorced or widowed.
The incidence is even higher – 83% – for women who have never married.
“In the case of cancer, wearing a ring may offer increased protection for women,” said Dr. Brad Wilcox, a professor at the University of Virginia who specializes in the study of marriage.
Significant differences
Research on marriage generally indicates that men have more to gain than women in heterosexual relationships. But this study suggests otherwise.
The authors of the study state that this finding likely has several causes. For certain types of cancer, such as endometrial and ovarian, the trend could be related to reproductive mechanisms. Women who have never given birth are at a higher risk of developing these types of cancer.
For older people in the new study, the correlation became stronger, suggesting that the effect of marriage “accumulates” over time, said Dr. Paulo S. Pinheiro, the study's lead author and an epidemiologist at the University of Miami Health System.
The study also highlighted variations according to race and ethnicity.
Black men who never married had the highest overall cancer rates. At the same time, married black men had lower rates than married white men.
Why does marriage come with benefits?
Although the concept of marriage is constantly changing, one fundamental question has remained unchanged: Does marriage make people healthier, or are those who get married actually the healthier people?
The study authors argue that people who have been married are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, pointing to data showing that marriage was strongly linked to lower rates of lung and cervical cancer.
These cancers are associated with risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking alcohol.
“Potential protective effects include healthier behaviors such as reduced tobacco and alcohol use, more favorable sexual and reproductive patterns, greater resilience to stress, and improved access to preventive care, including cancer screening,” the researchers said in the study.
