Wives Who Avoid Fighting May Not Live as Long as Wives Who Argue

Researchers from Boston University and the Eaker Epidemiology Enterprise recently announced the results of a 10-year study where they tracked the health of nearly 4,000 men and women. About 3,000 of the study participants were married or in "marital situations" for at least 10 years. The purpose of the study was to see whether the men and women developed heart problems or died during the 10 years, and whether their behavior and interactions may have had anything to do with health problems.

During the study, the couples were asked about their disagreements with their partners, including ways in which conflicts were resolved and their overall satisfaction with the outcomes of arguments. The results of the study showed that the married women who avoided conflict with their spouses have an increased risk of dying, no matter what the cause of death may be. But married men were less likely to die than single men, arguments or not, despite other health risks or problems.

Principal investigator Elaine D. Eaker said, "Married men were heavier, older, and had higher blood pressure and a less favorable lipid profile compared to unmarried men." But in postulating why married men were about half as likely to die as unmarried man, she added, "Unmarried men were most likely to be smokers." On the other hand, marital strain or marital status apparently had no effect on women developing heart disease or dying. But two types of marital strain were found to be significantly related to the health of both married women and married men.

Women study participants who said that they usually or always keep their feelings to themselves when arguing with their husbands had more than four times the risk of dying compared to women who always show their feelings. "We believe we have found characteristics of marriages that have an impact on peoples’ health and longevity," Eaker said. As a result, researchers suggest that medical history questionnaires should include screening questions that might uncover problems in the making. If such problems are discovered, counseling referrals may help to reverse or prevent health risks.