As far as health is concerned, a new study has shown that marriage is more beneficial to men than women.
The research carried out by University College London, the London School of Economics and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that single women do not suffer the same negative health effects as unmarried men.
Furthermore, middle-aged women who had never married had virtually the same chance of developing metabolic syndrome (a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity) as married women.
The research was published in The American Journal of Public Health.
According to Dr George Ploubidis, a population health scientist at the UCL Institute of Education, "not marrying or cohabiting is less detrimental among woman than men,”
But the findings didn't end with being married. The team also found that getting divorced did not have a harmful impact on future health for either men or women as long as they found a new long-term partner.
Furthermore, women who divorced in mid to late 20s had 31% lower odds of metabolic syndrome, compared to those who stayed married.
Ploubidis also added that "numerous studies have found that married people have better health than unmarried people,”
He also said "people who experience separation, divorce and remarriage, have very similar levels of health in middle age to those who are married."
“Surprisingly, those men who divorced in their late 30s and did not subsequently remarry, were less likely to suffer from conditions related to diabetes in early middle age compared to those who were married.” he said.
The team analysed information on more than 10,000 people born in England, Scotland and Wales in the same week of spring (between March and June) 1958.