Australian scientists have identified the factors that keep partnerships or marriage together. And rest assured that not only love applies to them.
The age of the partners, previous relationships, and, for example, the smoking of one of the spouses are factors that play a huge role in the success of a marriage, researchers from the Australian National University say. The study involved about 2,500 couples who were married or lived together from 2001 to 2007.
The study looked at what factors contributed to the couples getting along for so long. The results were compared with couples who are divorced or living separately. It has been found that when a husband is 9 or more years older than his wife, the risk of divorce doubles. The same situation arises if the spouses are married before the age of 25.
Children are another important indicator of relationships. The researchers found that one-fifth of couples who had children (either from a previous relationship or from a current one) ended in divorce. For comparison, only 9% of couples who did not have children before marriage divorced.
Women who want to have a child much more than their partners are also more prone to divorce. Likewise, the parents of the partners play an important role in the future of marriage. The study found that 16% of men and women whose parents are divorced or living separately also divorced. In contrast, less than 10% of couples with undivided parents divorced.
