Lack of Religious and Social Involvement Leads to Increased Mortality Risk

Men have traditionally been looked upon as the stronger of the two sexes, both physically and emotionally. However, according to the results of a recent study, it is women, rather than men, who are better able to deal with the loss of a spouse at later ages in life. In addition, according to researchers at Princeton University and the University of Minnesota, elderly men and women, regardless of their marital status who had little religious or social involvement also had a higher risk of dying than their more socially and religiously active peers.

The loss of a spouse seemed to increase men's death rates, but had little impact on female death rates. In fact, the researchers found that widowers had about a 25% greater chance of dying than did married men. However, for women, the loss of a spouse did not noticeably increase mortality levels.

While the loss of a spouse seemed to affect men's and women's chances of dying differently, both sexes' mortality levels seemed to be more equally affected by social and religious involvements. Men with no recent social contacts of any kind had approximately 50% greater odds of dying, while women without recent social contacts had a 736 greater risk of dying. Men and women who had not recently attended a social event increased their risk of dying by more than one-third. Furthermore, men who had not attended church in the recent past increased their risk of death by almost 25% while women non-attenders faced a 35% increased chance of dying.

The researchers concluded that "marital status is indeed associated with health and survival at the oldest ages." These positive effects of social and religious involvement for both genders offer a model for individuals to compensate for the loss or absence of a spouse and avoid adverse effects on their health.

Reference: Goldman, N., Korenman, S., and Weinstein, R. (1995). "Marital Status and Health Among the Elderly." Social Science and Medicine 40(12): 1717-1730.