Cause-specific mortality by partnership status: simultaneous analysis using longitudinal data from England and Wales

Area of Science:

• Demography
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Non-marital cohabitation is increasing in industrialized nations.
• Few studies have examined mortality by partnership status.
• No recent studies have investigated cause-specific mortality by partnership status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine cause-specific mortality in relation to partnership status.
• To investigate the impact of cohabitation on mortality risks.
• To understand how partnership influences health behavior and mortality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study.
• Applied competing risks survival models for analysis.
• Distinguished between married, cohabiting, and non-partnered individuals.

Main Results:

• Married individuals exhibit lower mortality from circulatory, respiratory, digestive, alcohol, and accident-related causes compared to non-married individuals.
• Cancer mortality did not differ significantly between married and non-married groups.
• Partnership status, including cohabitation, showed more pronounced differences in mortality across all causes, largely due to similar mortality levels between married and cohabiting individuals.

Conclusions:

• A distinction between partnered and non-partnered individuals is crucial given declining marriage rates and rising cohabitation.
• Cause-specific mortality analysis supports both selection into partnership and the protective effect of having a partner.
• Partnership status significantly shapes health behavior and mortality outcomes.