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THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIOURS AND THE RISK OF DIVORCE IN THE USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2000

HAISHAN FU
Affiliation:
Human Development Report Office, United Nations Development Programme, 336 E. 45th Street, New York, NY 10017
NOREEN GOLDMAN
Affiliation:
Office of Population Research, Princeton University, 21 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08544-2091, USA

Abstract

This study investigates the link between health-related variables and risks of divorce. The findings indicate that physical characteristics associated with poor health – namely, obesity and short stature – are not significantly related to risks of marital dissolution for either men or women. On the other hand, risk-taking behaviours – such as smoking and drug use – are strongly related to higher risks of divorce for both sexes. Overall, the results emphasize the need to accommodate health-related variables in the dominant economic and social psychological theories of marital dissolution.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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