EAST LANSING, Mich., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. married couples are living longer, but those widowed are experiencing a higher mortality rate, researchers found.
Hui Liu, a Michigan State University sociologist, said data from as far back as 1858 showed married people generally live longer than the non-married.
"It's a bit surprising to me," Liu said in a statement. "With the improvements in medical technology, it seems all population groups should be healthier and living longer."
Liu analyzed the data of more than a half-million people in the U.S. National Health Interview Survey and found that the overall mortality rate for married people decreased from 1986-2000.
The mortality rate for the never-married also decreased, although it remained higher than that of married people.
But when it came to widowed people, the overall mortality rate increased -- especially for white women.
Widowhood is associated with reduced economic resources and loss of social support, which may contribute to a higher mortality risk, Liu said.
The study was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
