Stress tends to decrease in women following the loss of their husband, according to an Italian study. For men, it’s the other way around.
Would men rely on their wives to deal with the stress of everyday life? Ladies are already bragging: “yes, of course! “; their spouses are surprised with bad faith: “Nnnnnnon …”. Sorry gentlemen, science is supporting women this time around. A study from the University of Padua (Italy), published in the Journal of women’s health, has shown that widows are less prone to stress after the death of their husbands.
To arrive at these results, the researchers used data from a cohort of 1,887 people over the age of 65, whom they followed for more than four years. However, they had in mind the opposite idea, widespread in scientific publications, that marriage was beneficial to general health. Widowhood was accompanied a priori by additional risk factors on health.
Good riddance
On the contrary, women seem to enjoy a second youth, once they are alone. “Married women could feel the effects of a burden because they are often devoted to the declining health of their husbands, when they reach old age,” explains Caterina Trevisan, doctor of geriatrics at the University of Padua, and lead author of the study.
Men, on the other hand, seem to check the expectations of researchers. Their stress level increases when they lose their partner. Maybe they are more romantic and emotional after all? Not really, according to Dr Trevisan, who explains that for many older men, having a wife was synonymous with confident management of the home, and increased monitoring of their health on a daily basis.
Less stressed, and less fragile
The study also showed that single women are less fragile than others. In particular, they are less prone to the risk of falls or hospitalization… Another result that goes against the grain. They are, at the same time, much less fragile than single men who do better as a couple.
“The higher level of education and economic status observed among the single women in the study may reflect a social condition that promotes physical and psychological well-being,” interprets Dr. Trevisan. Old girls are better integrated socially than old boys, and therefore less exposed to fragility. “
The results confirm the stereotypes that without their wives, men are lost. But gentlemen, don’t be offended. The subjects of the study are Italian. They are undoubtedly more macho, and husbands much less devoted than the French… Without bad faith, of course!
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