We’ve often heard that happy relationships are crucial for our physical and mental well-being.
However, a surprising new study from the University of Chicago suggests that men in unhappy marriages might have a lower risk of developing diabetes.
This study, published in the Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, initially aimed to explore the link between the quality of marriage and the risk and management of diabetes in later life.
To conduct this study, the researchers used data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.
This project is a long-term study focusing on the health and social factors of older Americans.
It looks at various factors like physical health, mental health, medication use, social connections, and the quality of relationships.
The researchers analyzed data from 1,228 married people, of which 389 were diabetic. They examined these individuals’ satisfaction with their marriage and their diabetes conditions.
The findings were unexpected. For women, a happier marriage was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes later in life. But for men, it was the opposite: an increase in negative marital quality was linked to a lower risk of having diabetes and a higher chance of managing it.
These results challenge the traditional belief that negative marital experiences always lead to poor health. The study suggests that men in unhappy marriages might be more inclined to look after themselves to improve their health.
Another theory is that the measure of negative marriage quality doesn’t necessarily indicate a high-conflict relationship.
It could be based on frequent criticisms or demands from the spouse, such as wives complaining about their husbands’ unhealthy habits.
This might make the husbands feel unhappy in their marriage, prompting them to change their lifestyle and become healthier to reduce their wives’ complaints.
In the future, researchers plan to use larger sample sizes and longer studies to further understand the impact of marriage quality on the development and management of diabetes.
Citation for the curious: Liu H, et al. (2016). Diabetes Risk and Disease Management in Later Life: A National Longitudinal Study of the Role of Marital Quality. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, published online. Doi:10.1093/geronb/gbw061.
