“U.S. Statistics prove it… Marry and Live Longer” (Campbell, 2012), with this same logic, Campbell adds, “and once you are married, maintain a healthy relationship!” Marriage appears to defend its incumbents against many life setbacks and essentially mortality. One of the most robust demographic research findings is that married people live longer than their unmarried counterparts. The marriage merit on lifespan was noted as early as Farr (1858) when Farr observed that mortality rates for widowers were higher than expected. These findings are established for both men and women; however, the effect is greater in men than women. The association between mortality and marriage has now reached the state of cliché, having been analyzed across various societies, developed and developing nations, and among various demographic and social groups (Hu and Goldman 1990). At least two processes explain the longer lifespan for married people: first, marriage enhances health status, which consequently minimizes the risks of mortality. It is considered to have a protective effect on health by minimizing risky behaviors and by economies of scale which enables caretaking. Second, through the principle of selectivity—people tend to select only those in good health for marriage. This paper discusses the role of health, as a superseding variable in the observed link between lifespan and marital status.

Various researchers concluded that married individuals, predominantly men, have a longer lifespan than those who are unmarried (Hu and Goldman, 1990; Lillard and Waite, 1995). A systematic review with meta-analysis conducted by Rendall et al. (2011) found that marriage poses a survival advantage to those involved when compared to the unmarried people. One of the theories that have been used to extensively explain this is that marriage has a protective effect on survival. In disease aetiology, marriage can be considered as both a protector, for instance, the, for instance, the social support provided by the spouse and acute stressor, for instance, the emotional trauma that comes with widowhood and divorce. The protective effect of marriage on survival was observed more than ten decades with Durkheim’s revolutionary study on suicide (Durkheim, 1951 [1897]). One mechanism of protective effect operates by stress and stress-related illnesses and through familial, social integration (Kobrin and Hendershot 1977). Marriage offers protection by integrating individuals socially with others—family, religious institutions, and the community. Traditionally, marriage has been considered as a socially essential institution, and those in it are accorded some level of respect and rights which gives them a sense of living. Kobrin and Hendershot (1977) argue that social integration maintains the sense of personal identity and mutual obligations that make life worthy of living through the configuration of roles and membership in groups and structure that promote interaction. Married people also have a large pool of social support that influences healthy living.

Similarly, the protective nature of health extends to mental health: married individuals report fewer cases of stress, anxiety and depression problems. The partnership gives one a chance to share their problems and have a shoulder to cry on when they reach tough ends and also offer emotional support. The support helps in stress reduction, anxiety, and depression which are factors that have serious health effects.

Secondly, marriage protects people by endorsing healthy behaviors. According to Gellatly and Charlotte Störmer (2017), marriage and parenthood minimize the incidences of various health-threatening behaviors such as problem drinking, substance abuse and driving while drunk. People who are married are less likely to abuse drugs or engage in health-threatening behavior. It encourages healthy behaviors such as regular meals and hours and physical exercises. Additionally, marriage enhances caregiving—people in a long-term relationship have someone to look out for their health. Being familiar with someone else’s body has the merit regarding their health status, this leads to early detection of some serious diseases. According to Lynch (1977), premature death from heart failure was more rampant in people who lived alone than those who were married. Similarly, marriage promotes caregiving during the times of illnesses. Lillard and Panis (1996) found that there is faster recovery, reduced morbidity, and lower mortality following an illness among married individuals.

Third, marriage leads to a greater material-well-being curtailing from the economies of scale attained by combining resources, and from task specialization which encourages better living conditions and positively affect survival. Even though marriage does not prevent social and economic problems from occurring in life, it seemingly helps individuals to fend the psychological problems that it may cause (Pearlin and Johnson, 1977).

The link between marital status and longevity is inextricably allied to the process of selection into marriage. In the contemporary debate, the theory of selection is associated with the preference for high-quality spouses on the marriage market, which may be designated by health, social status, behavior, and beauty. These factors especially health and social-economic status are indicative of higher survival prospects and hence longevity. Married people have a higher life expectancy because they are likely to select people who are healthy are most likely to live longer (Carter and Glick, 1976). Marriage is understood as a general indicator of fitness. In other words, people who can survive into old-age are more likely to marry. This theory was noted as early as 1858 when Farr found mortality rates in widowers was higher than expected (Farr, 1858). He observed that those with physical and mental disorders were less likely to marry, while also their chances of living longer were minimal. On the other hand, healthy individuals were not only attracted to each other mutually, but their marriage was enhanced and promoted by society.

A number of possibilities answer the question as to why single men are offered more protection for survival than women. First, men who are single, particularly those divorced are more likely than women to engage in risky behaviors and an unhealthy lifestyle; married men are less likely prone to such behaviors (Lillard and Wait). The second possibility is the sex diversity in social integration—women take up more responsibility for relationship maintenance with the family and friends, men may seem to be relatively isolated. Married men get the benefits of social integration and support from their wives and her cycle. According to Litwak and Messeri (1989), women’s social support network extends to the medical community members, enabling them to manage the non-technical facets of health care within the family. Additionally, men also benefit from their wives’ substantial contribution to household labor. Women, especially those who are working have double stress of managing the house and taking care of their job.

In conclusion, marriage has the advantage of improving the life expectancy of its incumbents. People who are married have lower rates of mortality than those are unmarried because of the protective and selection effects of marriage on survival. People who are married support each other to engage in healthier behaviors that lead to lower mortality. Additionally, they have wider social support networks that promote healthier co-existence especially in the area of mental health.