Financial columnist Sandra Block (2008) discusses the pitfalls of filing for early benefits from Social Security, an issue facing many of the Baby Boomers (who are now 44-62). Block examines two different mortality differences: the gap between men and women (see 9/28/06), and the gap between unmarried and married men (see 1/10/07)). Both of these ( Read more... )

Burnham et al (2003) found that men in current committed relationships (whether married or unmarried) had 21% lower saliva testosterone levels than single men. Gray et al (2004) confirmed these results, and found that this effect was more pronounced in afternoon and evening samples of testosterone levels than in morning samples. However, it is ( Read more... )

The literature on the health effects of marriage status is substantial and of varying levels of reliability. Kiecolt-Glaser and Newton (2001) provide a decent review. Generally, men get more health benefit from marriage than do women, but women in unsatisfactory marriages complain of more health problems than do men (or women in happy marriages ( Read more... )