Gender Differences in the Timing of First Marriage and Health Outcomes

Giuseppina Valle, Florida State University
Heather Griffis, Florida State University

While research indicates that unions influence mental and physical well-being, little attention has been given to the timing of union formation and its implications on health outcomes during adolescence and young adulthood. In this paper, we investigate the timing of first marriage from adolescence through mid-adulthood and its effects on health and well-being of individuals by gender. Data for this research come from multiple waves of Add Health. We define early, normative, and late marriage as before age 23, 23-27, and after age 27, respectively. We find preliminary evidence for poorer subjective health and higher levels of depression among women who marry early, although these effects are mediated by respondent education and income. Furthermore, lower levels of depression are found among women who marry late. Among men, those who marry early have higher levels of depression. However, these effects are explained by respondent education and income.