title: Marital breakup in later adulthood and self-rated health: a cross-sectional survey in Switzerland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This research examines the impact of relationship status on self-rated health (SRH) by taking into account intrapersonal and social resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data stem from a Swiss-based survey of 1355 participants aged 40-65 years. Three groups are compared: continuously married (n = 399), single divorcees (n = 532) and repartnered divorcees (n = 424). Linear regression models are used to examine the predictive role of relationship status on SRH and to investigate the moderating role of intrapersonal and social resources on SRH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Single divorcees show the lowest SRH scores, whereas their repartnered counterparts reported scores comparable to the continuously married-even after controlling for socio-demographic and economic variables. Although single divorcees reported higher levels of loneliness and agreeableness in addition to lower levels of resilience when compared with the other groups, none of these variables had a significant moderation effect on SRH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results underscore the positive effect of relationship status on SRH, and contribute new insights on the impact of later-life divorce. Given the growing number of divorcees, related public health challenges are likely to increase.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Berne, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012, Bern, Switzerland. bina.knoepfli@psy.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: Bina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Knöpfli
authors.affiliation: Swiss National Centre of Competence for Research LIVES - Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics, University of Geneva, Bd. du Pont-d'Arve 40, 1211, Genève 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cullati
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Genève 14, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Delphine S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Courvoisier
authors.affiliation: Swiss National Centre of Competence for Research LIVES - Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics, University of Geneva, Bd. du Pont-d'Arve 40, 1211, Genève 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burton-Jeangros
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Berne, Fabrikstrasse 8, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pasqualina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perrig-Chiello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012847:Single Person / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Later adulthood; Marital breakup; Relationship status; Resources; Self-rated health