Remarriage and health

One hundred and five adult females and 100 adult males from the mid‐Missouri area participated in a study to compare the health complaints of remarried women and men and to determine correlates of these health complaints. A structured interview format was used to gather information, and each subject completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Inventory of Family Feelings (IFF). No major health differences between women and men were found, although women experienced more changes in health complaints following remarriage than men did. Overall, the health of both men and women was affected most by their feelings toward one another and by having decision‐making power within the family. For men, more decision‐making power in the family and high marital satisfaction were associated with better health. For women, health was associated with positive feelings toward their spouse and less decision‐making power. In addition, a woman's health was better with fewer children in the family and when all the children in the household were hers.