Share

Married women have positive pregnancy

Compared with unmarried women, married women are less likely to experience domestic abuse, substance abuse or postpartum depression around the time of pregnancy, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at data from more than 6 400 women who took part in the 2006-2007 Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey, and found that about 10% of married women experienced at least one of the problems.

In contrast, the rates were 20% for women who lived with a partner but were not married, 35% for single women who had never married, and 67% for women who became separated or divorced in the year before they gave birth, the investigators found.

How the study was done

The study authors also noted that the longer a woman cohabitated with a partner, the less likely she was to experience these types of problems.

It's not clear whether problems such as partner abuse or substance abuse were the cause or result of separations and divorces, study author Dr Marcelo Urquia, an epidemiologist at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, pointed out in a hospital news release. The study was published in the online issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

It is important to know what the differences are between married couples and those who live together as the number of children born outside marriage rises, Urquia said. He noted that 30% of children in Canada are born to unmarried couples, up from 9% in 1971. Births to unmarried couples outnumber those to married couples in several European countries, according to background information in the news release.

Read more:

Mental problems linked to abuse

 

 

 

Poor sleep ups postpartum depression

 

 

 

Eggs in pregnancy good for baby

More information

The US. Office on Women's Health has more about domestic and intimate partner violence.

 

(Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.) 

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE