Happiness Check: What Does A Happy Spouse Do To Your Health?

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By Collie Lane , Parent Herald Sep 28, 10:19 am

You have probably heard and encountered the saying, "Happy wife, happy life." A new study proves this true. Researchers at Michigan State University revealed that having a happy spouse leads to better health.

A past study has suggested happy people are usually healthy people. However, Dr. William Chopik, main investigator of the research, wanted to take the study further by discovering the health benefits of interpersonal relationship.

Dr. Chopik, together with other researchers, studied the survey info of 1,981 middle-age heterosexual pairs, including physical activity, self-rated health and happiness over a period of six years. The participants answered queries about their chronic diseases, physical activity level and health as well as any worries they had about the health of their spouses.

"This finding significantly broadens assumptions about the relationship between happiness and health, suggesting a unique social link," Dr. Chopik said to ScienceDaily. "Simply having a happy partner may enhance health as much as striving to be happy oneself," he added.

Here are three possible reasons why having a happy partner may boost an individual's health, according to Dr. Chopik:

Happy spouses likely give solid social support as caretaking compared to sad spouses who are a lot likely to be engrossed with their stressors.
Happy spouses encourage activities which endorse good health like eating healthy foods, exercise and retaining regular sleep patterns, which all can contribute to good health.
A happy spouse makes life more relaxed even if not absolutely happier.

In general, researchers discovered that individuals with happy spouses were a lot more likely to have better health over a period of time. "This speaks to the power of our close relationships," Dr. Chopik said to the New York Times. "We've known for a long time that when we surround ourselves with happy people, we're happier. But now we know that it not only makes us happier, but healthier as well," he continued.