Incorporating Health into Models of Marriage Choice: Demographic and Sociological Perspectives

Data for this study were obtained from the 1979-91 US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth among all never-married non-Hispanic and non-Black respondents in 1979. Proportional hazard models were used to test hypotheses about the relationship between health-related characteristics and the timing of first marriage. Health-related variables included height weight health conditions that limited or prevented work abuse of alcohol tobacco or drugs and criminal delinquency. Potential factors that affect whether when and whom to marry were grouped into those that reflect traits at birth and those that are achievement-oriented or health-related after childhood. The theoretical framework was derived from studies of assortative mating and those focusing on the timing of first marriage relative to other life course events. This study serves to broaden the conception of health-related selection into marriage and to select individual-level data as the appropriate analytic technique. Three hazard models were produced for introducing all health-related variables all health-related and socioeconomic variables and selected interaction terms between age- and health-related variables. Findings support the hypothesis that health-related variables are related to the timing of first marriage in the US. People with unhealthy behaviors and with poor physical characteristics (obesity and short height) had lower marriage rates. Health limitations were unrelated. Findings suggest that heavy users of drugs and alcohol overweight women and short men are less desirable in the marriage market and face greater difficulties in finding an acceptable spouse.