A person is more successful at making and maintaining the tenets of healthy living when their partner makes the same commitment. Jane Wardle, from University College London (United Kingdom), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 3,722 couples, either married or living together and over the age of 50 years, who enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The individuals who were more successful in engaging in healthy behaviors and habits were involved with a partner who made the same lifestyle choices. Among women who smoked, 50% managed to quit if their partner gave up smoking too at the same time, compared with 17% of women whose partners were already non-smokers, and 8% of those whose partners were regular smokers. The study authors submit that: “Men and women are more likely to make a positive health behavior change if their partner does too, and with a stronger effect than if the partner had been consistently healthy in that domain. Involving partners in behavior change interventions may therefore help improve outcomes.”
