New research from the USA has delved into the world of alcohol and long-term marriages, finding that drinking with your partner can be a sign of a healthy, satisfied relationship.
The study was published in June in the Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, researchers looked at data from 4,864 married people between 2006 and 2016, where participants answered questionnaires about their drinking habits – whether they drank, how many days a week they drank and how many drinks they had on the days they drank.
They also answered questions about the quality of their marriage, including whether they thought their spouses were too demanding or too critical, if their spouse was reliable when they needed help and if they found their spouse irritating.
All of the participants were at least 52 years old and had been with their spouses for an average of 33 years.
Reuters reports the study found older married couples with the same drinking habits – whether they partake, or abstain – tend to be happier than couples where only one partner drinks.
The study found women were more dissatisfied over time when only they, and not their husband, drank.
Participants who drank with their spouse reported a lower incidence of certain kinds of negativity in their relationship, while participants who didn't drink and had partners who did reported worse relationship quality.
Speaking with Reuters, study author Dr. Kira Birditt of the University of Michigan said the results could reflect the idea that couples who spend more leisure time activities together have better marital quality.
The results found in more than half of couples, both spouses drank. Husbands were more likely to drink than wives.
“The study shows that it’s not about how much they’re drinking, it’s about whether they drink at all,” Birditt said.
It also shows that partners influence each other in a relationship, she said.
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