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Posted: 2013-07-22T23:35:11Z | Updated: 2013-07-22T23:42:18Z Divorced Women In America On The Rise, According To New Research | HuffPost Life

Divorced Women In America On The Rise, According To New Research

New Research Reveals Percentage Of US Women Who Are Divorced Or Separated
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The number of divorced and separated women in the US is on the rise, according to a recent report by Bowling Green State University's National Center for Marriage and Family Research (NCFMR).

The report, titled "Marriage: More Than A Century Of Change" and released on Thursday, July 18, found that 15 percent of women in the U.S. are divorced or separated today, compared with less than one percent in 1920. Researchers utilized data from the National Vital Statistics, Decennial Census, and American Community Survey in making their assessment.

Dr. Susan Brown, co-director of the NCFMR, explained in a press release that this increase is due in part to cultural changes.

The divorce rate remains high in the U.S., and individuals today are less likely to remarry than they were in the past, she said.

Past research has indicated that women file for divorce more often than men. According to a report titled "'These Boots Are Made For Walking': Why Most Divorce Filers Are Women ," published by the American Law and Economics Review in 2000, women file more than two-thirds of divorces in the U.S .

And women aren't the only demographic divorcing more often; according to data published by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in June 2013, people over the age of 50 are ending their marriages more frequently then ever before.

Click through the slideshow below to see more significant divorce findings.

The Most Fascinating Divorce Findings Of 2012
Couples Who Share Housework Are More Likely To Divorce(01 of09)
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Splitting chores could lead to divorce? According to a Norwegian study released in August 2012, the divorce rate among couples who divvy up household chores is roughly 50 percent higher than for those in which the wife handles the housework. So does that mean couples shouldn't split the chores equally? Not necessarily. Researchers say that the higher divorce rate has more to do with "modern" values and attitudes -- such as viewing marriage as less sacred -- rather than a cause-and-effect relationship . (credit:Shutterstock )
Divorce Could Be In A Woman's Genes (02 of09)
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In February 2012, Swedish scientists released a study suggesting that a specific gene may explain why some women have a hard time committing , or staying committed, should they marry.The researchers found that women who possessed a variation of the oxytocin receptor gene known as A-allele were less likely to get married due to difficulty bonding with other people. Those with the gene who did marry were 50 percent more likely to report "marital crisis or threat of divorce." (credit:Alamy )
A Close Relationship With Your In-Laws May Change Your Divorce Odds (03 of09)
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In November 2012, a 26-year longitudinal study released by the University of Michigan found that when a husband reported having a close relationship with his wife's parents, the couple's risk of divorce decreased by 20 percent . On the other hand, when a wife reported having a close relationship with her husband's parents, the couple's risk of divorce increased by 20 percent .Why the difference? Researcher Terry Orbuch told the Wall Street Journal that she believes that many wives eventually view their in-laws' input as meddlesome, while husbands tend to take their in-laws' actions less personally. (credit:Shutterstock )
Men Are More Likely Than Women To Turn To Drinking After A Split(04 of09)
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A University of Cincinnati study presented in August 2012 found that men are more likely than women to turn to drinking after divorce. "Marriage and divorce have different consequences for men's and women's alcohol use," study author Corinne Reczek told Health Day. "For men, it's tempered by being married and exacerbated by being divorced."Additionally, the study suggested that married women drink more than their divorced or widowed friends -- partly because they lived with men who had higher levels of alcohol use. (credit:Shutterstock )
Cold Feet Warn Of Marital Trouble Ahead(05 of09)
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Don't ignore those pre-wedding jitters: they may warn of marital trouble ahead, according to a UCLA study published in the Journal of Family Psychology in September 2012. Researchers asked 232 newlyweds in their first marriages whether they had "ever been uncertain or hesitant about getting married" after they got engaged. The research team followed up with the couples every six months for the first four years of their marriages. In a HuffPost blog , one of the researchers, Justin Lavner, explained that premarital doubts predicted divorce rates four years later, especially when the doubtful partner was the wife. According to Lavner, "19 percent of couples in which wives had doubts were divorced four years later, but only 8 percent of couples in which wives did not have doubts ended up divorced. Husbands' doubts did not significantly predict divorce, although divorce rates were somewhat higher among husbands with doubts (14 percent) than husbands without doubts (9 percent)." (credit:Alamy)
Moving In Before Marriage No Longer Predicts Divorce(06 of09)
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Living together before marriage is no longer a strong predictor of divorce , according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early 2012.As part of a marriage survey of 22,000 men and women, researchers found that those who were engaged and living together before the wedding were about as likely to have marriages that lasted 15 years as couples who hadn't cohabited. What about couples who moved in together but weren't engaged? The study found their marriages were less likely to survive to the 10- and 15-year mark. (credit:Alamy)
Divorce Is Too Expensive For The Poorest Americans(07 of09)
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More couples are opting for long-term marital separations because they cannot afford to divorce , according to a study conducted by Ohio State University that was published in August 2012. Researchers surveyed 7,272 people between 1979 and 2008. Most people in the study who separated from a spouse reported getting a divorce within three years of separating. But 15 percent of people who separated did not get a divorce within the first 10 years because it was too costly, especially when children were involved. (credit:Shutterstock )
Divorce Hurts Health More At Earlier Ages (08 of09)
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Divorce at a younger age hurts peoples health more than divorce later in life, according to a Michigan State University study released in January 2012.Sociologist Hui "Cathy" Liu looked at self-reported health information of 1,282 participants over the last 15 years , analyzing the difference in well-being between those who remained married over the course of the study and those who divorced. Among the divorced, Liu found that those who split at a younger age tended to have more health issues than those who divorced later in life. Liu said the findings suggested older people have more coping skills to deal with the stress of divorce. (credit:Alamy )
Women Close To Divorcing Tend To Work More Hours(09 of09)
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In November 2012, the European Economic Review released a study that revealed women who clock an extra 12 minutes per week face a 1 percent increase in the risk of a marital breakdown.Why? Lead researcher Berkay Ozcan, PhD, explained that working more hours is a "form of insurance" for women when their marriage is on the rocks. The study also found that there is no strong evidence to suggest men do the same when divorce seems likely. (credit:Alamy)

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