In love? It's not enough to keep a marriage, study finds

[one...two...tree 2,762]

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) – Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.

A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.

The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.

It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.

Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.

Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.

A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.

Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.

Not surprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16 percent of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared with only nine percent of couples with healthy finances.

And couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.

Factors found to not significantly affect separation risk included the number and age of children born to a married couple, the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.

The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

(Writing by Miral Fahmy; Editing by Nick Macfie)

[NickD 202]

Feel I would rather read that study where some materials use in the insulation of extension cords may cause cancer in rats in California. What about Wisconsin rats? And is a rat with cancer really of any concern?

Prefer Einstein's comment on statistics, is God playing dice with the universe? Also prefer good old fashion worse case design, this MTBF or mean time before failures is all BS.

Did it ever occur to these idiots that wrote this study, that a couple that does not want to have children and make a everlasting child that is part of both of them may not even be in love? That child is the only proof of their love for each other, unless they can't have one. Wonder if this study gained them a grant?

[Staashi 371]

Actually, Nick, this study is pretty well rounded - to have 2,500 couples is an excellent subject size. The variables and factors that affect a marriage's success are many times defined by one's background and internal/external influences on the couple. This isn't any real new information, but it is true - sometimes love ain't enough.

[Staashi 371]

Also found this to be a very interesting statistic:

Divorce was twice as likely for couples in which the husband was nine or more years older than his wife.

And the same risk applied in marriages in which the man was two or more years younger than his wife.

Could make for lots of fun divorces (both male and female petitioners) here on Visa Journey...just saying.

[trinket 30]

Also found this to be a very interesting statistic:

Divorce was twice as likely for couples in which the husband was nine or more years older than his wife.

And the same risk applied in marriages in which the man was two or more years younger than his wife.

Could make for lots of fun divorces (both male and female petitioners) here on Visa Journey...just saying.

Dang! is that why I always had a policy of not dating anyone who is 10 years older than me and 2 years younger than me. You see I was born with relationship intellect

Ok, jokes apart and also my personal choice apart, I do feel it really depends upon the couple itself. I have seen couples with large age group and without any immigration stuff and some seemed happy in their relationship, some where into it for whatever reason (security, companionship).

Some men/women are mature of their age, some aren't, at the end of the day its the couple who has to know how compatible they are for each other and will it work or not.

[justashooter 430]

this study was done in Oz, so you have to factor in a correction for sheep years.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Kewl.... the redhead and I smoke, and our ages are about what? 4 years apart. We're safe. I was worried.

[almaty 19]

i see.,..that i will always have a job somewhere....

[Chica Yeyé 41]

i see.,..that i will always have a job somewhere....

almaty, always my #1 shrink for pervy advise

[almaty 19]

always free and no charge to messikans

[Chica Yeyé 41]

always free and no charge to messikans

[Ban Hammer 12,853]

this study was done in Oz, so you have to factor in a correction for sheep years.

Kewl.... the redhead and I smoke, and our ages are about what? 4 years apart. We're safe. I was worried.

but who picks the pizza toppings?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

this study was done in Oz, so you have to factor in a correction for sheep years.

Kewl.... the redhead and I smoke, and our ages are about what? 4 years apart. We're safe. I was worried.

but who picks the pizza toppings?

we concur on such important matters

pepperoni + mushroom, FTW

[NickD 202]

this study was done in Oz, so you have to factor in a correction for sheep years.

Kewl.... the redhead and I smoke, and our ages are about what? 4 years apart. We're safe. I was worried.

but who picks the pizza toppings?

Most better pizza shops will fix one half the pizza one way, the other half the other way, but problems still exist if your spouse eats 90% of the pizza.

Not much to distinguish the difference between love and infatuation or lust as far as that is concern. Did admit having a marriage IQ of less than the square root of 2 when choosing my first wife. Had to do some reading and raising that to at least 2^2 before choosing another. Sure sign was no hesitation in signing the I-864 after I carefully read it. Should make signing a similar document as part of the marriage certificate, that would certainly decrease the divorce rate.

[AlHayatZween 2]

Habib better quit smoking!!!

Just wait till i get home and tell him this!