Age Differences in Marriage and Female Longevity

Analysis of 1968 mortality data and comparable 1970 census data for women showed that women married to younger men tended to live longer than expected while women married to older men tended to die sooner than expected. Representing fluctuation from the base rate of 100 the summary standard mortality ratio for women with spouses 4 years older to 14 years younger was 84 while the average standard mortality ratio for women with spouses up to 14 years older was 125. Thus the mortality risk associated with marriage to a younger man was clearly less than that associated with marriage to an older man. 2 possible outcomes are predetermined by mate selected or (b) psychological social and/or biological interaction within marriage influences longevity. (authors)