Spousal Characteristics as Predictors of Well-Being in Older Couples

2019 ◽  
pp. 21-33
Author(s):  
Cécile Quirouette ◽  
Dolores Pushkar Gold
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Older Couples

Couple Religiosity and Well-Being Among Older Adults in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110421
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks ◽  
Jeremy E. Uecker ◽  
Markus H. Schafer
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Ordered Logistic Regression ◽  
Individual Trait ◽  
The Us ◽  
Married Men

Objectives: This article evaluates whether couples’ religious similarity is consequential for the health of older married men and women. Alternatively, we examine whether women’s religiosity alone is health-protective to their husbands . Methods: Using dyadic data from the US National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a representative sample of 913 individuals ages 62–91 plus their marital partners, we perform latent-class analysis to separate older couples into classes based on religious characteristics. Ordered logistic regression models are then used to assess whether different combinations of religious (dis)similarity are associated with married men and women’s well-being. Results: We find that older women in highly religious, homogamous marriages report better mental and physical health relative to women in heterogamous and secular (non-religious) marriages. No significant associations were observed for men. Discussion: Our results emphasize that religiosity is not only an individual trait—dis/similarities within a couple have important implications for older women’s well-being.

scholarly journals Discordant Chronic Conditions and Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Associations Among Middle-Aged and Older Couples

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney A Polenick ◽  
Kira S Birditt ◽  
Angela Turkelson ◽  
Benjamin C Bugajski ◽  
Helen C Kales
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Objectives Individuals often manage chronic conditions in middle and later life that may diminish well-being. Little is known, however, about discordant conditions (i.e., two or more conditions with competing self-management requirements) among older couples and their links to depressive symptoms. We considered discordant conditions at both the individual level and the couple level (i.e., between spouses), along with their long-term implications for depressive symptoms. Methods The U.S. sample included 1,116 middle-aged and older couples drawn from five waves (2006–2014) of the Health and Retirement Study. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models evaluated whether individual-level and couple-level discordant chronic health conditions were concurrently linked to depressive symptoms, and whether these associations became stronger over time. Models controlled for age, minority status, education, prior wave depressive symptoms, and each partner’s baseline report of negative marital quality and number of chronic conditions in each wave. Results Wives and husbands reported significantly greater depressive symptoms when they had individual-level discordant conditions about 2 years after baseline, and these links intensified over time. Beyond this association, husbands had significantly greater depressive symptoms when there were couple-level discordant conditions. Discussion Individual-level and couple-level discordant conditions may have lasting implications for depressive symptoms during midlife and older adulthood.

The psychosocial sources of sexual interest in older couples

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Iveniuk ◽  
Linda J. Waite
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
Large Network ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Sexual activity with one’s partner is an important component of well-being and is linked to physical, emotional, and cognitive health. However, it is unclear why some older adults are more interested in sex and some less so. Their own characteristics, those of their partner, and characteristics of the relationship may all be important. We define sexual interest as consisting both of the motivation to seek sex with a partner and willingness to have sex when asked. We measure this construct using data from both members of 953 couples in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. We focus in this article on the impact of psychological and social factors on older adults’ interest in sex, as well as the impact of their partners’ characteristics on their own interest in sex. We find that individuals with high perceived positive marital quality, a more positive and open personality, a large network of family, and better physical health showed greater interest in sex. Characteristics of their partner generally had little association with sexual interest.

scholarly journals Too close for comfort? COVID-19-related stress among older couples and the moderating role of closeness

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1059-1059
Author(s):  
Kira Birditt ◽  
Angela Turkelson ◽  
Angela Oya
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Baseline Interview ◽  
Cohabiting Couples ◽  
Stress Levels ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract Married and cohabiting couples have important influences on one another’s stress and well-being. Pandemic-related stress may influence the extent to which couples' stress levels are coregulated. This study examined the experience of nonspecific stress and pandemic-related stress and the moderating role of closeness among couples aged 50 and over in which at least one member had hypertension. A total of 30 couples reported their feelings of closeness to one another in a baseline interview and their feelings of nonspecific stress and pandemic-related stress every three hours for 5 days. There was no difference in closeness and nonspecific stress between husbands and wives. Wives reported greater pandemic-related stress than husbands. Actor-partner interdependence models revealed that wives’ nonspecific stress predicted husbands’ nonspecific stress (b = 0.17, SE = 0.04, p < .001) and that husbands’ nonspecific stress predicted wives’ nonspecific stress in each three hour period (b = 0.19, SE = 0.04, p < .001) and these associations were not moderated by closeness. Coregulation in pandemic-related stress among husbands and wives was moderated by wives’ feelings of closeness such that when wives’ feelings of closeness were lower, greater husband pandemic-related stress predicted lower pandemic-related stress for wives (b = -0.16, SE = 0.07, p < .05) whereas when wives’ feelings of closeness were higher, greater husband pandemic-related stress predicted greater pandemic-related stress for wives (b = 0.22, SE = 0.09, p < .05). These findings indicate that closeness may have detrimental effects especially when considering emotional coregulation in couples regarding the pandemic.

scholarly journals FACETS OF CLOSE, ROMANTIC, AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS IN LATER LIFE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S792-S792
Author(s):  
Karolina Kolodziejczak ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Karen Rook
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Dyadic Data ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Research on the role of close social relationships for physical health and well-being in later life has received increased attention over the past decades. Yet, we are still only beginning to understand potentially underlying mechanisms such as joint goals and affectionate touch. Likewise, we also know little about the relevance of particular social facets such as the role of friends and the nature of sexuality. In this symposium, we have compiled four empirical projects that showcase current and future endeavors to address some of these long-standing questions. Ungar et al. use dyadic data from older couples to examine how shared goals with the partners and positive illusions about these joint goals relate to goal progress and relationship satisfaction. Zhaoyang and Martire analyze long-term longitudinal dyadic data from older couples to examine if and how the frequency of affectionate touch between partners predicts physical health, well-being, and relationship satisfaction five years later. Fiori et al. make use of three-wave longitudinal data from a large and representative US sample to examine the unique roles that close social ties and weaker social ties have independently of one another for age-related changes in two central aspects of affective experience. Kolodziejczak et al. use time-lag data from two cohorts of adults in late midlife to capture historical changes in the perceived importance of sexuality and the evaluation of one’s sex life. Karen Rook will integrate the insights gained from these four papers, discuss their potential and limitations, and consider directions for future research.

Relationships between negative exchanges and depressive symptoms in older couples: The moderating roles of care and gender

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minyoung Kwak ◽  
Berit Ingersoll-Dayton
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Care Recipients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Gender

Marital relationships have a significant impact on older adults’ well-being. However, when contending with spousal illness or disability, negative exchanges may be particularly detrimental. This study examines the extent to which negative spousal exchanges have more impact on caregiving versus non-caregiving couples. Using dyadic analyses, this investigation compares three different groups consisting of (a) couples who did not provide or receive care, (b) couples in which husbands received care from their wives, and (c) couples in which wives received care from their husbands. We tested for gender differences in the effect of negative exchanges on depressive symptoms among caregivers and care recipients. Based on the 2012 and 2014 Health and Retirement Study, the sample consisted of 3,530 couples in which at least one of the spouses was aged 51 or over. Structural equation modeling was used to test the moderating effects of care and gender. Sociodemographic characteristics were included as control variables. Results indicated that there were significant differences in the magnitude of the path between negative exchanges and depressive symptoms across the subgroups. Among husbands, there was a stronger relationship between negative exchanges and depressive symptoms for care-receiving husbands than for caregiving husbands or husbands in non-caregiving relationships. Among wives, however, there was no significant difference in the path from negative exchanges with spouses to depressive symptoms across care status. We also found gender differences in the effect of negative exchanges on depressive symptoms among caregivers, but not among care recipients. Findings suggest that care status and gender of caregivers and care recipients have significant effects on the association between negative interactions within couples and mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals DISCORDANT CHRONIC CONDITIONS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER COUPLES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S58-S58
Author(s):  
Courtney A Polenick ◽  
Kira S Birditt ◽  
Angela Turkelson ◽  
Benjamin Bugajski ◽  
Helen C Kales
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Marital Quality ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Discordant chronic conditions (i.e., those with competing management requirements) have adverse consequences for well-being, yet little is known about their implications among couples. We evaluated how depressive symptoms are linked to discordant conditions within individuals and between spouses across an 8-year period. The U.S. sample included 1,116 middle-aged and older couples from five waves (2006 – 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models controlled for age, minority status, education, depressive symptoms in the previous wave, and each partner’s report of baseline marital quality and number of chronic conditions in each wave. Wives and husbands with their own discordant conditions reported higher depressive symptoms, and this association intensified over time. Over and above this link, husbands had higher depressive symptoms when there were discordant conditions between spouses. Both individual-level and couple-level discordant chronic conditions appear to have enduring implications for depressive symptoms in middle and later life.

Behind Closed Doors: Older Couples and the Gendered Management of Household Money

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinah Bisdee ◽  
Tom Daly ◽  
Debora Price
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Money Management ◽  
Older Couples ◽  
Financial Decisions ◽  
The Face ◽  
Control And Management

As couples survive longer and live together into older age they face many issues of financial management, including daily money management on reduced and/or reducing income, and paying for care or the additional costs of disability. Yet household money management is highly gendered, especially for older age groups. This has implications for the ability of women, particularly, to manage financial decisions in the face of their partner's illness, or widowhood, as well as for their autonomy and well-being. We analyse in depth qualitative data from forty-five older couples across the socio-economic spectrum to show that women have varying emotional responses to money management in coupledom: ‘accepters’ who accept financial inequality and dominance by their husbands, ‘resenters’ who recognise these inequalities but resent them, and ‘modifiers/resisters’ who retain financial independence and power within their relationships. It is only the latter group, who have long histories of financial control and management, who are well placed for financial management and decisions in later life. By recognising the implications of different types of couple relationship, policies can be better designed to assist those navigating money in later life.

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