Living Alone Not Harmful To Health

Previous studies have suggested that older women living alone were at greater risk for health problems — partially due to isolation. However, a new study has found that women who live alone don't have a higher risk, compared with married women.

Researchers tracked the health status of more than 28,000 women ages 60 to 72. After four years, women living alone didn't have worse health than married women.

This finding suggests that living alone isn't synonymous with social isolation.

American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 153, No. 2