Married people are less likely to break bones in their old age because they are better at looking after themselves, study claims
- Married couples are less likely to break bones than their single counterparts
- People who have married are better at looking after themselves, expert says
- Those who earn more money also have healthier bones, the study found
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Well-wishers may have told you to break a leg on your wedding day, but being married dramatically reduces your chances of suffering a broken bone in old age.
People who tied the knot were less than half as likely to fracture their hip, upper arm or wrist as their single counterparts, according to a study.
Scientists believe it adds to growing evidence that marriage can have a protective effect on health.
They suggest it could be because people who are married take better care of themselves and take fewer risks with their health.
Researchers led by the University of Southampton studied data on almost 380,000 people from Denmark, around half of whom had suffered a broken bone.
They wanted to investigate whether differences in income and marital status are associated with differing fracture risks.
Being married has numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of breaking a bone in old age because of osteoporosis, according to research
Osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones, is responsible for more than 500,000 fractures in the UK every year, costing the NHS an estimated £4.4billion.
Hip fractures in particular can have life-threatening complications for the elderly, with around a third dying within a year of experiencing the break.
Scientists found that higher income is linked to reduced chances of experiencing a fracture of the hip, upper arm or wrist compared with average income.
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And people who are married have less than half the likelihood of sustaining a fracture compared with those who are single.
Bones weaken and break more as people age
Osteoporosis, which causes many bone breaks in older people, is a condition affecting over three million people in the UK and around 54 million Americans.
HOW IS MARRIAGE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?
We’re social creatures – in the past we always lived in packs and groups and in today’s world with pressure and demands, it’s healthy to have a sounding board to share the ups and downs of the day.
In 2010, the World Health Organisation found marriage can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety and singles are more likely to suffer the blues than those who are married.
Last year, Aston Medical School in Birmingham released details of a 13-year study of one million participants and concluded that being married is better for your health than being single. Married individuals were less likely to die from conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The researchers cited that one reason for improved health was the encouragement received from their partner to eat healthy, get enough exercise and take their medication. Perhaps not surprisingly, men fared even better than women.
Source: Dr Jen Nash, clinical psychologist
Bone density reduces naturally as people age, thinning and weakening their bones, but osteoporosis speeds up this process and makes breaks more likely.
It mostly affects women who have been through the menopause but it can also affect younger women, men and children.
Divorcees and widowers more likely to break bones
People who are divorced or widowed are 53 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, more likely to suffer a broken hip than those who are married.
Alcoholism increases the risk more than three-fold for hips and nearly five-fold for the humerus, theysaid.
Lead author Professor Nicholas Harvey said research suggests that being married helps people take better care of themselves.
Previous studies have shown it reduces a person’s chances of everything from heart disease to dementia.
Married people are healthier
‘There is some evidence of better health behaviour, and better mental health amongst married than single individuals,’ he said.
‘For example married individuals may tend to eat more healthily and take fewer risks compared with single people, and perhaps be better at attending appointments and seeking medical help.
‘Of course it may be that people who are healthier are more likely to get married than people who are less healthy, but the evidence does not seem to support this, suggesting that marriage itself brings benefits to health.’
The team’s findings were published in the journal Osteoporosis International.
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