Marital Status and Women's Health: The Effect of Economic Marital Acquisitions

Abstract

Research has established an inverse relationship between marriage and poor health for both men and women. Although to date no clear explanation emerges for why this relationship exists, one hypothesis that may appear the most relevant for interpreting this relationship for women is that married women have more economic resources compared to single women, and as a result, better health. Using data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, this study examines the extent to which economic assets gained through marriage explain the relationship. The findings indicate that much though not all of the variation is explained by economic factors