Single mothers have a 70% higher risk of dying prematurely than mothers living with partners. This difference held even after taking into account a variety of social and psychological factors. The risks of early death due to suicide, violence, or alcohol-related causes were notably higher in single mothers. Because the number of single parents has risen in Western countries over the past few decades, the findings could have significant public health implications.

The investigators found that overall, lone mothers were 67% more likely to die from any cause than were similar-age mothers with partners. Their death rate remained 24% higher after further adjustment for psychiatric and physical health, socioeconomic group, number of children, and housing situation. Data from the study show that mothers without partners were more than twice as likely as mothers with partners to die from suicide, three times as likely to die from violence, assault, or homicide, and 2.37 times as likely to die from alcohol-related causes.

Mothers without partners differed in other ways from mothers with partners. The authors note that lone mothers did not go as far in school, were six times more likely to receive welfare checks, and were twice as likely as mothers with partners to be on unemployment. The researchers suggest several reasons for the difference in death rates between lone women and women with partners. Women without partners experience poorer health, work longer hours than women with partners, and have less social support, they write.

The Lancet April 8, 2000;355:1215-1219