New research finds long-term marriage linked to lower alcohol consumption in men, but higher alcohol consumption in women. The study was presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver, CO.

Based on survey data and interviews, researchers revealed that married men reported consuming the lowest number of drinks, compared with single, divorced, and widowed men, in part due to their wives’ lower levels of drinking. However, married women consumed more drinks than long-term divorced or recently widowed women, probably because they lived with men who had higher levels of alcohol use.

The study was conducted by Corinne Reczek, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati, and University of Texas at Austin alum; Tetyana Pudrovska, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Demography at The Pennsylvania State University; Deborah Carr, Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University; and Debra Umberson, Professor of Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin.

For a feature of the study, visit CBS News.