Volume 16 - Article 15 | Pages 469–492  

Does cancer affect the divorce rate?

By Astri Syse, Øystein Kravdal

Abstract

Discrete-time hazard regression models were employed to register and census data on 1.4 million Norwegian married couples from 1974-2001 to explore the probability of divorce following cancer illness. Divorce rates for around 215 000 persons diagnosed with cancer were compared to divorce rates for persons for whom all the other observed variables were the same. No overall harmful influence of a cancer diagnosis was observed. Most cancer forms resulted in small, immediate declines in divorce rates the first years following diagnosis. Exceptions were significant increases in the divorce rates for persons diagnosed with cervical and testicular cancer.

Author’s Affiliation

• Astri Syse - Folkehelseinstituttet (Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Norway EMAIL
• Øystein Kravdal - Universitetet i Oslo, Norway EMAIL

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