Married people who are well-educated and have the higher per-capita incomes tend to also be the healthiest.
That’s the provocative conclusion of a new Spanish study that finds socioeconomic factors may play the biggest roles in a person’s overall mental and physical health, despite genetic and biological factors.
For the study, University of Granada researchers analyzed two surveys of Spanish citizens that examined their living conditions, jobs, education and marital status.
Among their findings: A person’s income "is positively associated with a good health status"; individuals with higher education levels have a lower risk of developing chronic health conditions than those with less schooling; strong social relationships can reduce disease risk (but only in women); and a positive family environment – including marriage – confers a significant health benefit.
Researchers said the study, led by University of Granada scientist Kristina Karlsdotter, “reveals the potential long-term effects that socioeconomic inequalities have on the health of the population at regional level, and the relevance of family when it comes to assess how social inequalities affect population's health.”