Single parents' hearts found to be weaker compared to those with partners

Single parents know that the job of raising kids is quite tough, and aside from ensuring that their children are raised well, they may also need to be more mindful of their hearts. New research emerged which shows that the hearts of single parents may be more prone to ailments as compared to parents who have partners.

Research made by doctors from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which still needs to be peer reviewed, showed that single parenthood is taking a toll on the parents' heart health. In a news release, the researchers led by Dr. Natalie Stokes, revealed that they analysed a survey of 2,180 parents, where 462 of them were single parents and 25 percent of them were men.

They gathered data on indicators of heart health, which included diet, obesity, blood pressure, and whether the parent was a smoker or not. They used a 14-point scale to rate the parents.

The single parents scored one-half point lower compared to the group who have partners. The group of partnered mothers scored a full point higher compared to single mothers in terms of heart health.

The study did not delve into the reason why there was a discrepancy in heart health between the groups. However, the group is hoping that they can look into that discrepancy.

In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau noted that there were 10.4 million single-parent households in the U.S., making it a potential public health concern. With these numbers, Stokes mentioned that there must be means to make society become more responsive to the needs of these parents.

Emory Women's Heart Center in Atlanta's clinical director, Dr Gina Lundberg, said in an allegory that it would take a whole village to raise a kid, and for single parents, the village becomes really small. Although she is not involved in the study, she offered such knowledge in US News & World Reports.

Dr Lundberg said that the study supports what has long been suspected: that it is quite stressful to become a single parent. She underscored how single parents often do not have the time for their own health because nobody is offloading the responsibilities that are essentially being shared by couples.

Single Parents and Heart Health