This paper examines an accumulating modern literature on the health benefits of relationships like marriage. Although … and disciplines, that there is persuasive longitudinal evidence for such effects. The size of the health gain from … marriage is remarkable. It may be as large as the benefit from giving up smoking. -- mortality ; health ; marriage ; happiness …

The socio-economic gradient in health remains a controversial topic in economics and other social sciences. In this … paper we develop a new duration model that allows for unobserved persistent individual-specific health shocks and provides … marriage as important factors in determining longevity. For example, a one-log point increase in real household monthly income …