Accidents, assaults, and marital status.

Marriage may reduce the risk of accidents and assaults by promoting social control of health behavior. This study examines the impact of marital status on non-fatal accidents and assaults in young British women. Data is drawn from a large cohort study of the people born in 1958. Rate ratios of overall and specific incidence of non-fatal accidents and assaults are determined by negative binomial regression, with adjustment for socio-economic and behavioral confounders. The null hypothesis of no association between marital status and incidence of non-fatal accidents and assaults is rejected. It is suggested that, independent of parental status, more exposure to marriage and less exposure to marital dissolution may reduce accidents and assaults.