Listen to Story A recent study found that married men or those who became married during the study were twice as likely to age well compared to men who never married. However, there was no significant difference in ageing well between married and never-married women. The study, covered over 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians, led by Mabel Ho from the University of Toronto, which explored how different marital situations impact physical health and well-being in older age.
The results, published in International Social Work that analyzed data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) collected between 2011-2018, varied for men and women. How did the researchers define optimal ageing? Optimal ageing was defined as being free from serious physical, mental, or emotional conditions that affect daily life, along with high levels of happiness, good physical, and mental health. The study focused on participants who were ageing well at the start.
Past research shows marriage often leads to better health outcomes, especially for men. David Burnes, a professor at the University of Toronto, noted that married people might encourage each other to adopt healthy habits like quitting smoking or staying active. The study further highlighted the importance of social connections.
Older adults who regularly interacted with family, friends, and neighbours were more likely to maintain good health compared to those who were socially isolated. Senior Scientist Eleanor Pullenayegum said that staying connected with others helps older adults feel less lonely and improves their well-being. Lifestyle choices like maintaining a healthy weight, being active, avoiding insomnia, and not smoking also played a key role in ageing well.
Esme Fuller-Thomson, another professor at the University of Toronto, stressed that it's never too late to quit smoking, as former smokers in the study were more likely to age well than those who continued to smoke. "Our study underlines the importance of understanding sex-specific differences in aging so that we can better support older men and women to continue to thrive in later life," concluded Mabel Ho. The researchers hope their findings will help develop better programs to support older adults, particularly those who never married or faced widowhood, separation, or divorce later in life.
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