Unmarried Men Research Articles

Marital history homogamy between the divorced and the never married among non-Hispanic whites

Whether and why the never married and the divorced marry partners of like marital history is not well known. The homogamous tendency on marital history may simply be a by-product of couples' homogamous tendencies on age, socioeconomic status, and parenthood status, in addition to the group size imbalance between the never married and the divorced. Alternatively, marital history homogamy may reflect spousal preferences for similarity in marital history that arises, in part, from continued ties of the divorced to their former marriage. To test hypotheses implied by these two perspectives, regression models are applied to unmarried non-Hispanic white men and women from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 1985–1997. Results are contrary to the hypothesis based on the by-product perspective. Specifically, in both the male and female subsamples, the tendency toward marital history homogamy is not removed by controlling for individuals' spousal choice on age, education, and parenthood status. However, results are consistent with the hypothesis based on the marital ties perspective. For example, in the subsample of women, the measure of ties to former marriage accounts for about a quarter of the tendency toward marital history homogamy. Results have implications for resource distribution within and across American families.

Social variables predict between-subject but not day-to-day variation in the testosterone of US men

Previous research has shown lower testosterone (T) levels associated with involvement in committed, romantic relationships (“paired” men) and paternal care in eight studies of North American men. An unanswered question is whether differences in male T levels associated with relationship status better reflect state (e.g., a man has lower T levels because he is involved in a relationship) or trait (e.g., low T men are more inclined toward such relationships) effects. Toward addressing this question, this paper presents data on male salivary T levels among a sample of 65 men varying in marital and parental status. Subjects collected saliva samples (at approximately waking, 17:00 and 21:00 h) and filled out questionnaires concerning their activities on four days. Each subject collected samples in two settings that varied in social interactions: for unmarried men, two working and two non-working days; for married non-fathers, two days spent mostly with their wives and two days spent mostly away from their wives; and for married fathers, two days spent mostly with their young children and two days spent mostly away from their children. Analyses revealed no significant within-subject T differences between these different conditions. However, between-group analyses revealed that married men had lower evening T levels than unmarried men, corroborating existing North American studies of male T and relationship status. These results suggest that day-to-day differences in social interactions may not be associated with differences in T levels, and lend further support to the growing body of evidence that hormone–behavior effect sizes may be greater in the afternoon and evening than in the morning.

Secretive females or swaggering males?: An assessment of the quality of sexual partnership reporting in rural Tanzania

In population-based surveys on sexual behaviour, men consistently report higher numbers of sexual partners than women, which may be associated with male exaggeration or female under-reporting or with issues related to sampling, such as exclusion of female sex workers. This paper presents an analysis of data collected in the context of a longitudinal study in rural Tanzania, where a sexual partnership module was applied to all participating men and women in the study population. Since the study design included all men and women of reproductive ages and did not involve sampling, these data provide a unique opportunity to compare the consistency of aggregate measures of sexual behaviour between men and women living in the same villages. The analysis shows that non-marital partnerships were common amongst single people of both sexes—around 70% of unmarried men and women report at least one sexual partner in the last year. However, 40% of married men also report having non-marital partners, but only 3% of married women did so. Single women reported about half as many multiple partnerships in the last year as men. Under-reporting of non-marital partnerships was much more common among single women than among married women and men. Furthermore, women were more likely to report longer duration partnerships and partnership with urban men or more educated men than with others. If a woman reports multiple partners, biological data indicate that she is at high risk of contracting HIV. For men, however, there is only a weak association between number of partnerships and the risk of HIV, and it cannot be excluded that men, especially single men, exaggerate the number of sexual partners.

Living Arrangements among Older Persons

This study examines the effects of housing market conditions on the living arrangements of non-Hispanic White and African American persons 60 years old and older. The multilevel models include indicators of local housing market affordability and availability, as well as individual-level resources, evaluated for unmarried women, unmarried men, and married couples. The results indicate that older persons' and couples' living arrangement decisions are responsive to housing affordability in that those who live in areas with high housing costs experience increased likelihoods of living with nonnuclear adults. For married couples, housing availability is also associated with living arrangement decisions, and for single men and women, the relative share of the housing market composed of small rental units is positively associated with residential independence. In addition, housing availability and affordability are positively associated with the likelihood of living alone as compared to living in group quarters or an institution.

Lack of marital support and poor psychological responses in male cancer patients.

A total of 272 men and 252 women with cancer participated in a study of the impact of being married and the presence of spousal support on psychological distress and coping with cancer. All participants underwent a structured interview and completed the Profile of Mood States and the Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale. Multivariate analysis controlling for potentially confounding biomedical and psychosocial variables revealed that unmarried men had significantly higher levels of psychological distress and lower levels of fighting spirit than married men, and that men with spousal support showed higher levels of fighting spirit than men without spousal support. However, no such difference was observed between unmarried and married women or between women with and without spousal support. These findings suggest that being married may play an important role in reducing psychological distress and enhancing fighting spirit of men with cancer, and that being unmarried may be a risk factor for psychological distress and lower fighting spirit for men with cancer.

Men in committed, romantic relationships have lower testosterone

Variation in human male testosterone levels may reflect, and effect, differential behavioral allocation to mating and parenting effort. This proposition leads to the hypothesis that, among North American men, those involved in committed, romantic relationships will have lower testosterone levels than men not involved in such relationships. Our study is the first to examine whether being in such a relationship (rather than being married) is the meaningful predictor of male testosterone levels. To test this hypothesis, 122 male Harvard Business School students filled out a questionnaire and collected one saliva sample (from which testosterone level was measured). Results revealed that men in committed, romantic relationships had 21% lower testosterone levels than men not involved in such relationships. Furthermore, the testosterone levels of married men and unmarried men who were involved in committed, romantic relationships did not differ, suggesting that, at least for this sample, male pair bonding status is the more significant predictor of testosterone levels than is marital status.

Perception of risk of HIV/AIDS and sexual behaviour in Kenya.

The association between perception of risk of HIV infection and sexual behaviour remains poorly understood, although perception of risk is considered to be the first stage towards behavioural change from risk-taking to safer behaviour. Using data from the 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, logistic regression models were fitted to examine the direction and the strength of the association between perceived risk of HIV/AIDS and risky sexual behaviour in the last 12 months before the survey. The findings indicate a strong positive association between perceived risk of HIV/AIDS and risky sexual behaviour for both women and men. Controlling for sociodemographic, sexual exposure and knowledge factors such as age, marital status, education, work status, residence, ethnicity, source of AIDS information, specific knowledge of AIDS, and condom use to avoid AIDS did not change the direction of the association, but altered its strength slightly. Young and unmarried women and men were more likely than older and married ones to report risky sexual behaviour. Ethnicity was significantly associated with risky sexual behaviour, suggesting a need to identify the contextual and social factors that influence behaviour among Kenyan people.

The development of acute post-traumatic stress disorder after orofacial injury: a prospective study in a large urban hospital

Purpose: Psychologic distress is a common outcome among trauma survivors. This report examines both the development and predictors of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of US inner-city orofacial trauma survivors seeking treatment in a publicly funded hospital. Patients and Methods: Baseline data were collected from 336 patients seeking urgent care for an oral injury (mandibular or midfacial fracture). Participants were predominantly unemployed, unmarried, African American or Hispanic men in their 30s. One-month follow-up assessments of PTSD symptoms were conducted on the available 84% of the sample. Results: Absolute levels of PTSD symptoms were high at 1 month; 25% of the sample appeared to meet diagnostic criteria for acute PTSD, based on a self-report of symptoms. Variables associated with self-reports of higher rates of PTSD symptoms included older age, being female, prior psychologic disturbance as reflected in lifetime and current mental health and social service need and use, exposure to and distress at a prior trauma as well as overall high rates of stressful life events in the past year, injury pain, psychologic distress at hospital discharge, and unmet social support needs during the recovery phase. Conclusions: A substantial subsample of these traumatized medical patients had negative psychologic outcomes at 1 month. Results underscore the potential use of screening survivors of orofacial injury at urban trauma centers for PTSD and developing systems of care that facilitate referral to appropriate psychologic treatment.

Marriage, parenting, and testosterone variation among Kenyan Swahili men

Male variation in testosterone (T) levels may, in part, reflect a differential behavioral allocation to mating and parenting effort. This research tests whether demographic indicators of pair bonding and parenting were associated with salivary T levels among Kenyan Swahili men. Men in the sample were either unmarried (N = 17), monogamously married (N = 57), or polygynously married (N = 14), and between ages 29-52. In contrast with earlier findings among North American men, monogamously married men did not have lower T levels than unmarried men. However, among all married men, men with younger genetic children tended to have marginally lower T levels. Polygynously married men, all of whom had two wives, had higher T levels than all other Swahili men. Possible explanations of higher T levels among polygynously married men are explored.

Workaholism: Its Definition and Nature

The term ‘workaholism’ is widely used, but there is little consensus about its meaning, beyond that of its core element: a substantial investment in work. Following Snir and Zohar, workaholism was first defined in the present study as the individual’s steady and considerable allocation of time to work-related activities and thoughts, which does not derive from external necessities. Subsequently, it was measured as time invested in work, while controlling the financial needs for this investment. The relation between workaholism and possible attitudinal (meaning of work indices), demographic (gender, marital status), and situational (occupation type, employment sector) variables was examined through two representative samples of the Israeli labor force. The following predictor variables were significantly related to workaholism: work centrality, economic orientation, occupation type, employment sector and gender. From those variables, gender was found to be the strongest predictor - that is, men, in comparison with women, have a higher likelihood of being workaholics. Moreover, married women worked fewer hours per week than unmarried women, while married men worked more hours per week than unmarried men. The theoretical contribution of the above findings, and of the other study’s findings, to the understanding of workaholism is discussed.

Kaposi's sarcoma: aetiopathogenesis, histology and clinical features.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) represents today one of the most common skin cancers in transplanted Mediterranean subjects and, since the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, in young unmarried single men. The disease has been associated with the recent identified human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 or KS herpesvirus and its incidence in the general population shows a north to south gradient that parallels the HHV-8 increasing prevalence from Nordic countries to sub-Saharan regions. The identification of the aetiopathogenetic mechanisms (viral agents and immunodeficiency) involved in the pathogenesis of KS, are relevant for identifying susceptible subjects (HHV-8 seropositive subjects), monitoring the immune levels in iatrogenic immune suppressed patients, and developing new therapeutic approaches based on antiviral and immune modulators. This article should enable the reader: (i) to learn about the clinical and molecular aspects of KS in order to have a multidisciplinary approach to a tumour that shows unique features; (ii) to consider the role of viral agents and immunity; and (iii) to recognize properties of an opportunistic neoplasm. The identification of the HHV-8 role in KS pathogenesis should establish a relevant tool in the clinical management of KS patients.

Increased HIV prevalence among individuals attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Monitoring HIV prevalence among selected groups provides important data on infection trends. The present study assessed current HIV prevalence and risk correlates among 255 men and women consecutively attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Yaounde, Cameroon. Prevalence of 21.96% and 5.5% were found for HIV and syphilis, respectively, with a significant correlation between the two infections. Although marriage was not a significant predictor for HIV, married men were twice as likely as unmarried men to be infected; no such difference was observed for women. Inconsistent condom use was positively, but not significantly, associated with HIV. Also, age, education, and number of sex partners were not significant correlates of HIV infection. Compared to data collected in 1997, HIV prevalence in this clinic has increased nearly 6%. Our findings highlight the increasing spread of HIV infection in Cameroon and the need for additional control strategies to curb the epidemic.

Loneliness in Married, Widowed, Divorced, and Never-Married Older Adults

Predictors of loneliness were investigated in married, widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults. Contacts with adult children, siblings, friends, and neighbors showed a stronger negative relationship with loneliness in unmarried than in married adults. However, divorced and widowed adults were more likely to profit from contact with adult children, whereas never-married and childless unmarried respondents profited most from contacts with siblings, friends, and neighbors. A better functional status was associated with less loneliness in divorced, widowed, and nevermarried adults, but not in married adults. Furthermore, unmarried men showed higher levels of loneliness than unmarried women, whereas only small sex differences in loneliness were found in married respondents. Sex differences in the loneliness of divorced and never-married adults were eliminated by controlling for sex differences in contact with children, siblings, and friends. However, widowers were lonelier than widows even after controlling for sex differences in these contacts.

Loneliness in married, widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults

Predictors of loneliness were investigated in married, widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults. Contacts with adult children, siblings, friends, and neighbors showed a stronger negative relationship with loneliness in unmarried than in married adults. However, divorced and widowed adults were more likely to profit from contact with adult children, whereas never-married and childless unmarried respondents profited most from contacts with siblings, friends, and neighbors. A better functional status was associated with less loneliness in divorced, widowed, and nevermarried adults, but not in married adults. Furthermore, unmarried men showed higher levels of loneliness than unmarried women, whereas only small sex differences in loneliness were found in married respondents. Sex differences in the loneliness of divorced and never-married adults were eliminated by controlling for sex differences in contact with children, siblings, and friends. However, widowers were lonelier than widows even after cont...

Consumo de tabaco y accidentes de tráfico no fatales

To investigate the possible associations between smoking and nonfatal traffic accidents, and to evaluate the possible influence of other factors on traffic accidents. Cross-sectional study of associations.Setting. Eight health centers in the city of Zaragoza. 1214 drivers between 25 and 65 years of age, who visited the health center during the months of July to September 2001, and who drove on at least 2 days of the week. MAIN MEASURES. We recorded data on sex, age, marital status, level of education, profession, diseases, use of prescription and nonprescription drugs, drinking, smoking, illegal drug use, accidents and traffic infractions. We found accidents to be most common among unmarried men between 25 and 29 years of age. There were no significant differences in accident rates between drinkers and nondrinkers. The accident rate was 50% higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.49%-3.09%), and there were no significant differences between smokers who smoked while driving and those who refrained from smoking while driving. CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of accidents is highest in unmarried men younger than 45 years of age. In statistical terms, smokers have twice as many accidents as nonsmokers. The absence of significant differences between smokers who do and do not smoke while driving suggests that smoking increases the risk of being involved in traffic accidents regardless of whether drivers refrain from smoking at the wheel.

The Effects of the Differential Undercount on Survey Estimates of Race Differences in Marriage

The fact that Blacks, and especially Black men, are not as well represented in survey data as Whites is well known among demographers. What is less well known is the potential impact of the differential undercount on estimates of race differences in various demographic behaviors. This research examines the potential effects of the differential undercount by race and marital status on estimates of race differences in marriage. The results show that the differential undercount has a surprisingly small effect on population distributions and on life-table estimates of race differences in marriage formation. The author concludes that underrepresentation of unmarried Black men in survey data cannot explain why the race gap in marriage is smaller among men than among women.

Retirement Timing in Germany

:This article examines the timing of retirement in a household context, using longitudinal data on employment and family careers. It investigates the retirement decisions of unmarried and married elderly men and women. Since in (West) Germany, patterns of investment in alternative family and market roles over the life course are highly tendered, a separate analysis is also performed on a subsample of working spouses where both partners were employed at age fifty. The determinants of retirement decisions considered in the models are: early life course employment patterns, employment characteristics in later life, health situation, and household circumstances, including the income level. Data come from the German Socioeconomic Panel Study. An event history analysis is conducted using a piecewise constant hazard model with time-varying covariates. The analysis indicates that there are indeed important differences in retirement behavior between men and women as well as between unmarried and married individuals. The household context does matter in retirement decisions but the study discloses gender asymmetry in response to marital status and displays differences between partnerships in which both spouses are employed in late life and those that portray a traditional division of paid/unpaid labor.

Marriage and fatherhood are associated with lower testosterone in males

In order to study the hormonal correlates of the tradeoff between mating and parenting effort in human males, we examined the salivary testosterone (T) levels of 58 Boston-area men who were either unmarried ( n=29), married without children ( n=14), or married with children ( n=15). Additionally, we asked participants to complete a questionnaire that surveyed their demographic, marital, and parenting backgrounds. We tested the hypotheses that (1) T levels will be lower in married than in unmarried men and (2) married men with children will have lower T levels than unmarried men and married men without children. We also tested a series of hypotheses relating variation in parenting and spousal relationships to T. We found that married men with and without children had significantly lower evening T than unmarried men. No significant differences in T were found among the groups in morning samples. Among married men without children, higher scores on a “spousal investment” measure and more hours spent with a man's wife on his last day off work were both associated with lower T levels. We suggest that lower T levels during the day among fathers may facilitate paternal care in humans by decreasing the likelihood that a father will engage in competitive and/or mating behavior.

Workforce participation by persons with disabilities: the National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement, 1994 to 1995.

Using the National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement of 1994 to 1995, we examined the factors associated with employment among Americans with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who were more educated were more likely to be working. Married men were more likely to work than unmarried men (odds ratio [OR], 1.58). Blacks were less likely to work than whites (OR, 0.56). Persons with disabilities related to cardiovascular disease (OR, 0.23), musculoskeletal disease (OR, 0.37), and respiratory disease (OR, 0.23) were less likely to work than other Americans with disabilities. Among persons with psychiatric disorders, there was considerable variety in the propensity to work. Persons with schizophrenia (OR, 0.24) and paranoid delusional disorder (OR, 0.34) were markedly less likely to work; persons with bipolar disorder (OR, 0.60) and major depression (OR, 0.69) were also less likely to work. Lastly, persons with self-reported alcohol abuse (OR, 1.30) were more likely to work, and persons with self-reported drug abuse (OR, 0.93) were not less likely to work, than others in our study population of Americans with disabilities.

Recent Changes in Heterosexual Attitudes, Norms and Behaviors among Unmarried Thai Men: A Qualitative Analysis

Contexte: L'importance du risque d'infection a VIH a donne lieu a une transformation radicale de l'initiation sexuelle des jeunes hommes thailandais. Les glissements d'attitudes et d'attentes a la base de ce changement comportemental ne sont pas clairs. Methodes: Des interviews en profondeur de 10 jeunes hommes ont permis d'explorer l'evolution recente du contexte social des relations heterosexuelles masculines en Thailande. L'evolution des idees est examinee quant au caractere approprie et a la disponibilite de relations sexuelles commerciales et non commerciales et quant a l'importance de l'usage du preservatif lors de differents types de rencontres sexuelles. L'observation de directives d'interview standard et les codage et analyse systematiques des transcriptions facilitent la comparaison de ces questions d'un cas a l'autre. Resultats: Face, en grande partie, a la peur du SIDA, certains jeunes Thailandais au moins repoussent les efforts de leurs amis aines cherchant a les initier aux modeles traditionnels de la sexualite, caracterises par une forte consommation d'alcool suivie d'une visite en groupe dans une maison de prostitution. Certains participants signalent l'existence d'occasions de relations sexuelles avec leurs homologues feminines. Ces occasions semblent mener les hommes comme les femmes a reevaluer les modeles traditionnels de l'expression sexuelle masculine. Conclusions: Il faut tenir compte du contexte changeant des premiers comportements sexuels des hommes dans l'elaboration des programmes visant a reduire la propagation du VIH et des autres MST dans le cadre des relations sexuelles commerciales, quasi-commerciales et non commerciales.