A new study that followed more than 7,000 Canadians, middle-aged and older, for about three years found that married men or men who got married during the study period were twice as likely to age optimally compared to their never-married peers.
Among women, those who had never married were twice as likely to age optimally compared to married respondents who were widowed or divorced during the study period. Married women did not differ significantly from unmarried women in terms of optimal aging.
“Little is known about the relationship between marital trajectories in old age and successful aging. We aimed to see whether different marital trajectories were associated with physical health and well-being and whether these relationships differed for men and women,” says the first author. Mabel Ho, a recent PhD graduate at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) and the Life Course and Aging Institute.
The researchers defined optimal aging as freedom from any serious physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional conditions that interfere with daily activities, as well as high levels of self-reported happiness, good physical health, and mental health. The sample for the current study was limited to the 40% of participants who were considered to be aging successfully at the start of the study.
Previous studies have shown that marriage is associated with better health outcomes for both men and women, while men who never married generally had the worst health outcomes. “Married couples may encourage each other to adopt or maintain positive health behaviors, such as quitting smoking or exercising regularly.”
David Burnes, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto
Older people who were not socially isolated were more likely to maintain optimal health in old age. Those who had regular contact with family, friends and neighbors were more likely to age optimally compared to older people who were socially isolated.
“Being socially connected to others is important, especially in later life. Regular contact with family, friends and neighbors can help older people feel connected, reduce feelings of loneliness and improve their overall well-being.” says Eleanor Pullenayegum. ​Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Professor at the University of Toronto.
The study also found that lifestyle factors such as maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active, not sleeping and smoking were important for maintaining optimal health in later life.
“It’s so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, no matter how old we are. For example, it’s never too late to quit smoking,” says senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Life Course & Aging Institute and Professor . at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. “In our study ex-smokers were significantly more likely to age optimally than those who continued to smoke.”
“Our study highlights the importance of understanding gender-related differences in aging so that we can better support older men and women to continue to thrive in later life,” Ho concluded. “Our findings can inform the development of programs and services to engage and support older adults, particularly those who have never married or experienced widowhood, separation and divorce in later life.”
This study, titled “The association between trajectories of marital status and successful aging varies by gender: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA),” was published online this week in the journal International Social Work. It uses longitudinal data from the baseline wave (2011-2015) and first wave of follow-up (2015-2018) data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to examine factors associated with successful aging. The CLSA included 7,641 respondents aged 60 years or older at wave 2 and in excellent health at the baseline wave of data collection.
