Researchers, who derived their study population from the Canadian Community Health Survey, tracked than 40,000 parents for more than 11 years and found that mortality in single fathers was three times higher than mortality rates in single mothers and partnered fathers. Mortality rates for single fathers were also higher than the rates in partnered mothers. Researchers did not determine the causes of the disparity in mortality rates. The CCHS defined single parents as divorced, separated, widowed or single and never married, non-cohabitating men or women aged 15 or older living in a household with one or more more biological or adopted child younger than age 25, and no other adults.
However, the study suggests that a number of factors might be relevant to the higher mortality rate for single dads. Researchers noted that single fathers ate fewer vegetables and fruits than other parents; engaged in greater monthly binge-drinking than other moms and dads, and that the single fathers in the study were significantly older than the other parents. As a group, they also had a significantly lower income and were more likely to have been unemployed in the past year than partnered fathers. "We found that single fathers had several risk factors that were associated with premature mortality," researchers wrote.
Another possible risk factor for single fathers: loneliness. Researchers noted that previous studies have shown that single fathers "are significantly less likely to have relationships and connections within and between social networks that could help to enhance their health, productivity and well-being in society." Evidence is growing in medical literature that suggests that loneliness and social isolation are important risk factors for early death and could even be as important as obesity and smoking as predictors of premature death, researchers noted. Loneliness is associated with poor sleep, higher levels of stress hormones, an increased risk of heart disease and accelerated cognitive decline, researchers wrote. One recent study suggests that social isolation and loneliness dramatically increase the risk for early mortality.