Why married cancer patients fare better

The researchers also found that all-cause mortality associated with unmarried status was higher in US-born Asian Pacific Islander and Hispanic men and women relative to their foreign-born counterparts.

“The results suggest that the more acculturated you become to US culture, the more it impacts cancer survivorship,” Dr Martínez said. “Our hypothesis is that non-Hispanic whites don’t have the same social network as other cultures that have stronger bonds with family and friends outside of marriage.”

“As individuals acculturate, they tend to lose those bonds. It’s also been shown that women seek out help for health concerns more frequently than men, and women tend to remind spouses to see their physicians and live a healthy lifestyle.”