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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Marital transitions and life satisfaction

subject

description

This article is based on three waves of data collected by the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), Norway. It investigates changes in life satisfaction associated with transition both into and out of marital unions (marriages and cohabitations). It provides longitudinal data on life satisfaction for a larger sample ( N=57,446), a longer age span (19–101 years) and over a longer observation period (22 years) than previously published research on this topic. The large sample permits interaction analyses focusing on small gender/age categories. Results indicate that marriage and cohabitation does enhance life satisfaction, but more for some groups than for others. Cohabitation enhances life satisfaction no less than marriage. There is little difference in life satisfaction between the non-partnered statuses when adjusted for selection. Both men and women are more satisfied as married or cohabiting than as non-partnered. However, transition into widowhood is more harmful to men than to women, and divorce is much more harmful to young males (below 35) than to any other age or gender group.