Married Seniors More Likely to Seek Preventive Care

“The American Journal of Public Health is reporting that seniors who live with a spouse are more likely to obtain preventive health care screenings than are those who live either alone or with an adult child. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a shortage in preventive screenings on the part of the elderly; the current study breaks down, by living arrangement, those more likely to seek preventive medicine. Just over 13,000 people over the age of 65 were surveyed, according to Dr. Denys Lau of Northwestern University. Of those, 52% lived with their spouses. Statistically, the results of the survey may simply be reflecting the “marriage benefit” that has been reported since the 1970s: those who are married tend to live longer and have fewer health problems than those who live alone.”

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Lifestyle/05062009-853_married_seniors_more_likely_to_seek_preventive_care.html