DIVORCE

Thursday, February 9, 2012 Young divorcees likely to suffer health decline - Study by Jayne Augoye As divorce rate increases all over the world, a new study indicates that young divorcees are more likely to suffer health decline than older ones, reports JAYNE AUGOYE Divorce remains a very sensitive and saddening occurrence to the affected couples, friends and families. A recent study has indicated that young divorcees suffer more damage to their health than those who split up later in life. The study also establishes a difference in how the generations are affected by divorce, with those born in the 1950s finding it harder to deal with the problem than those born 10 years earlier. The finding, published in the Journal Social Science and Medicine in January, comes from an analysis of interviews given by 1,282 men and women, aged from 25 to 83, over a 15-year period. The respondents were asked to rate their health from 'poor' to 'excellent' and their answers were compared with their marital status. This revealed that going through a divorce caused health to decline, with those aged between 35 and 41 at the time of the split more affected than those who were born at the same time but were older when their marriage ended Sociologist Dr Hui Liu, of Michigan State University, who carried out the study, says the maturity that comes with age may make it easier for those who are slightly older to deal with the end of a marriage. Dr. Liu says, "I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them." She adds that this may be due to the fact that the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations and so those who did divorce may have been unhappily married for a period of time. They may even also have felt relieved when they did divorce. Overall, the study found that those who get divorced experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married. Findings of another research carried out by the University of Arizona and published in USA Today in January states that divorce was as bad for the health as smoking. The researchers found the risks associated with divorce are similar to other well-established public-health risks, such as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, getting limited exercise, being overweight and drinking heavily, said the study's lead author, UA psychology professor David Sbarra. According to the findings, the risk of dying early was 23 per cent greater among divorced adults than married couples tracked by the experts for an average of 11 years. A related study carried out in 2009 and published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour suggests that people who suffer marital disruption through either divorce or widowhood are 20 per cent more likely to have chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer than married people. They also have 23 per cent more limitations on their mobility, which means they are more likely to have trouble climbing stairs or walking around the block when they get older. By some measures, the research authors say they are even less likely to be physically or mentally healthy than people who never married at all. Another study has concluded that divorce can wreak havoc on a person's health, even after remarriage. While some scientists say 'marriage can boost a man's health and augment a women's purse', this study shows that divorce or losing a spouse to death can exact an immediate and long-lasting toll on those mental and physical gains. "That period during the time that this event is taking place is extremely stressful. People ignore their health; they're stressed, which is itself a health risk; they're less likely to go to the doctor; they're less likely to exercise; they're sleeping poorly," says study author, Linda Waite. Ironically, as various studies establish a link between divorce and wellbeing, a study conducted in India says that arguing once a week can be the secret to strong, happy unions – provided the argument is not abusive. The study conducted by relationship site Shaadi.com and market research agency IMRB sampled married couples and found that 44 per cent of pairs believe that fighting 'helps keep the lines of communication open'. The findings are in tandem with views held in many countries that fighting and addressing problems constructively makes for a more stress-free relationship than bottling things up. They also add that fighting in front of children can even be a good thing – provided the irritation is dealt with respectfully and couples are able to show kids that they have moved on quickly and positively. Picture from google , article  from Punch Nigeria.