爱情不是婚姻唯一保鲜秘诀

A photo of Kim Hee Sun and his husband. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and its a lot more than just being in love.

Living happily ever after neednt only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and its a lot more than just being in love.

A couples age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.

The study, entitled Whats Love Got to Do With It, tracked nearly 2,500 couples - married or living together - from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.

It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.

Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage - either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship - having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.

Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.