Marital status and all-cause mortality rate in older adults: a population-based prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Living with a partner and separation is becoming more common among older people. Mortality disparities associated with marital status are significant in increasingly diverse aging populations. The link between marital status and all-cause mortality risk in older adults remains uncertain. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We included NHANES participants ≥ 60 years of age (data from 1999 to 2014). Data for mortality follow-up beginning from the commencement date of survey participation to the last day of December 2015. Univariate- and multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models for marital status were estimated, and the findings were presented as regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Kaplan–Meier curves were reported. RESULTS: Compared to never married individuals, the risk of all-cause mortality was 0.77 (0.50–1.18), 0.72 (0.56–0.93), 0.56 (0.36–0.88), and 0.84 (0.67–1.07) in those people living with a partner, married, separated, and divorced, respectively, after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomics, behavior, anthropometric variables, and medical history. The risk of all-cause mortality was 1.24 (0.97–1.59) in widowed participants. CONCLUSION: This population-based cohort study included a large sample size followed by long-term follow-up. The association between marriage, health, and reduced mortality in older individuals has been illustrated in this study. Being married or separated was associated with a lower risk of mortality. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-023-03880-8.