Shared interests or sexual conflict? Spousal age gap, women's wellbeing and fertility in rural Tanzania

The marriage of older men to younger women is common across cultures. On one hand, husband-older may serve the interests both sexes, a conclusion broadly consistent with reported gender differences in mate preferences. other alone benefit from such marriages at cost if seniority enables exert dominance conflicts interest. Indeed, public health large spousal age gaps are generally deemed “pathological”, as cause and consequence inequalities harmful women. We investigate these alternative models gap using data cross-sectional survey Mwanza, northwestern Tanzania (n = 993). Consistent notion that product sexual conflict, typically married larger than stated ideals. However, adjusting for potential confounds, was not associated fertility or risk divorce. Furthermore, women's mental autonomy household decision-making higher compared rare cases same-age wife-older marriage. Beyond this comparison, magnitude unrelated either measure wellbeing among overwhelming majority where husband older. Together findings suggest does influence marital stability, relatively neither especially costly nor beneficial women, sociodemographic factors more important driving variation reproductive success context. Our results support model mutual benefits, pathological conceptualization gaps. conclude by encouraging evolutionary human scientists engage fully conflict future studies mating, suggesting scholars consider neutral interpretations differences.