Research has shown that married cancer patients cope better with cancer than single cancer patients ; their survival rates are higher, and those who eventually die from this disease also endure longer than those without a partner. The key would be the emotional support provided by the person with whom you live , who also often insists that the patient take care of himself and follow the treatment.
A new study published in the journal Cancer by specialists from the University of San Diego in California adds nuances to this fact. Its authors have found that the positive health effect of marriage varies by ethnicity and origin, at least in the United States . The worst unemployed are non-Hispanic white singles, with a cancer death rate 24% higher than that of their married counterparts. Single women also suffer a higher mortality than married women, but the difference is less significant than among men: non-Hispanic white women had an increase of 17% compared to their married counterparts, a percentage that decreased to 6% among those of Asian origin.
According to the researchers, ethnic groups such as Hispanics or Asians overcome cancer better because they maintain family and group ties that have been noticeably weakened among the Anglo-American population. In fact, the data indicate that migrants who abandon their culture and assimilate more to the American way of life are less likely to defeat the disease.
María Elena Martínez, director of the study, believes that “oncologists should take into account that mortality from cancer is higher among single people; Doctors treating these people should know if their patients have someone who can help them physically and emotionally during treatment . It would be the best way to alleviate the obvious negative health effect of living single ”.
In Spain, the number of people living alone (single and widowed) has skyrocketed in recent decades. One in four households is like this, which represents 24.8% of the population (about 4.5 million people).
