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Effects of Self-Rated Health on Union Formation and Dissolution in Six Countries
1Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW), University of Groningen, The Hague, Netherlands.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|December 26, 2025
Summary
Poor self-rated health negatively impacts marriage and cohabitation transitions, including formation and dissolution. These health-related inequalities accumulate within the marriage market across multiple countries.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Health Economics
- Demography
Background:
- Marriage is linked to health benefits, but the reverse pathway (health influencing marital status) is less understood.
- Existing research on health's impact on marriage and cohabitation shows mixed findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how self-rated health affects transitions into and out of marriage and cohabitation.
- To investigate gender and age differences in these health effects.
- To compare health's impact on union dynamics across six diverse countries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized large-scale, harmonized annual longitudinal panel survey data.
- Employed discrete-time event-history models for analysis.
- Included data from Australia, Germany, (South) Korea, Russia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Main Results:
- Poor self-rated health adversely affects all union transitions: formation, marriage, separation, divorce, and repartnering.
- Health impacts were more pronounced for union dissolution than formation, and for marriage than cohabitation.
- Health effects on union dissolution decreased with age, with minimal gender differences observed.
Conclusions:
- Self-rated health significantly influences relationship dynamics and transitions.
- Findings suggest a cumulative effect of health on marriage market inequalities.
- The impact of health on union transitions is broadly consistent across the studied countries.
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