If you are a divorced mother, you may have more serious health problems than married moms, according to a study of over 400 women. The study was conducted by the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University. The women all lived in rural areas but the researches feel the findings apply also to women who live in urban areas as well.
The study was conducted over a ten year period and found that the women’s health was worse in several categories. The women were first interviewed in the early 1990s (three times) and then again in 2001. All of the mothers had adolescent children and of the women interviewed, 102 were divorced.
Researchers feel that the adverse effects on the women’s health was brought on not just because of the divorce but due to the stressors of being a single mother. Parenting burdens, lower income, demotions, layoffs, home repairs, not having another adult or confidante in the house, loss of a social network– these are all stressors the single mom sometimes faces.
The divorced mothers in the study reported 7% higher levels of psychological stress, during the years immediately after their divorce but no major difference in physical illnesses. Ten years later, they reported 37% more physical illness. The researchers feel the mental stress of the divorce leads to the physical illnesses later on.
The researchers documented 46 illnesses for the women in this study to choose from including minor illnesses like the common cold and sore throats to more serious diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. The severity of these illnesses appears to be directly linked to the quality of the marriage before the divorce. The single mothers in the study reported more of both the routine illnesses and the serious health conditions.
The study also found that of the women who eventually remarried (40), their health improved somewhat. Not having to worry about their finances have a positive effect according to the researchers.
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