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New study connects shorter life to longer marriage

On Behalf of | Apr 24, 2012 | Divorce

Residents of Columbus, Ohio, may be curious to learn more about a recently released research report. The new study has researchers believing that a shorter life expectancy may increase the likelihood that a person chooses to stay married. Though this means that death will occur sooner, it could mean that a marriage will last longer.

Released by a university’s math department, the study examined court documents, marriage certificates, birth records and population statistics. By comparing these things to one another, researchers found that those with shorter life expectancies were less likely to divorce. The life expectancy of a region, according to the study, can accurately predict when women and men choose to marry and the likelihood that they will eventually divorce.

According to the study’s author, there was no focus on the motivation behind the decision to divorce. Individual psychology was also excluded from the study’s scope. But it’s important for people to remember that divorce is an alright avenue to take, no matter the reason. People who are unsatisfied in a marriage shouldn’t stay unsatisfied just because they are worried about what happens next.

This study may be bringing new light to a recently discovered trend. According to researchers at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, data from the U.S. Census Bureau is showing that divorce rates among baby boomers is increasing at an astonishing rate, while the same rates for other populations have stabilized.

Some believe that this indicates a lowered tolerance for being in an unhappy or moderately satisfying marriage as people get older.

Researchers from the life expectancy study believe that it is possible for a person to change their perception of a relationship if they do not expect to live a long life. This could decrease the amount of dissatisfaction in a relationship, allowing them to stick with it — regardless of their level of happiness.

Source: Huffington Post, “Life Expectancy-Divorce Linked In New Study,” Natash Burton, Apr. 11, 2012

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