Effects of marital transitions on changes in dietary and other health behaviours in US male health professionals.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of change in marital status on health behaviours among men.


METHODS
Longitudinal study of repeated measures of marital status and health behaviours collected at four year intervals (1986-90; 1990-94).


METHODS
US male health professionals.


METHODS
38 865 men aged 40-75 in 1986.


RESULTS
Relative to men who stayed married over four years, men who became widowed increased their alcohol consumption. Men who become divorced or widowed experienced decreases in body mass index. Compared with men who remained unmarried, men who remarried exhibited increases in body mass index along with decreased physical activity. Becoming divorced or widowed was associated with decreased vegetable intake while remarriage was linked to greater consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
Marital termination may adversely affect health and dietary behaviours among men.
Eng
Patricia Mona
PM
Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, MA, USA. meng@epidemiology.com
Kawachi
Ichiro
I
Fitzmaurice
Garrett
G
Rimm
Eric B
EB
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014675:Vegetables; D017805:Widowhood