Married seniors with long-lasting marriages are less likely to develop dementia than those who are single. This risk decreases even further if the married couple has children. Studies have shown that married individuals tend to have better physical and mental health than singles, with more social contacts, particularly if they have children. In contrast, loneliness is a serious health problem for older singles, reducing life expectancy. The lack of social stimuli for singles in adulthood also reduces the formation of cognitive reserves, which people can rely on in old age. A study by the Folkehelseinstituttet shows that this also affects the risk of dementia. According to the publication in the Journal of Aging and Health, seniors who were continuously married in adulthood are less likely to develop dementia. The risk decreases the most when the married couple has children living with them.
The study is based on data from the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Since the 1980s, all residents in the central Norwegian region have been invited to medical examinations several times, during which they also provided information about their relationship status. Almost 90 percent of the population participated in the study. During the last survey from 2017 to 2019, 8,706 participants over the age of 70 underwent a comprehensive neuropsychiatric examination. Doctors diagnosed dementia in 11.6 percent of seniors, while 35.3 percent suffered from minimal cognitive impairment (MCI). On the survey date, 70.5 percent of the participants were married in their first marriage. According to study author Vegard Skirbekk, the least amount of dementia was detected in long-married individuals. In contrast, those who had never been married were 73 percent more likely to develop dementia.
The researchers also found that in the Trøndelag region, 6 percent of all dementia cases could be prevented if all adults were married. In addition to marriage, the study identified children as the most important protective factor. A causal mediation analysis shows that the increased risk of dementia in unmarried individuals is 60 percent due to the fact that they usually have no children. The researchers cannot yet explain the remaining 40 percent. This study highlights the importance of social connections and family support in reducing the risk of dementia in old age.
