Premarital Predictors of Marital Quality and Stability

Abstract Prior research has found that the risk of cognitive decline increases after the death of a spouse. In general, the impact of life transitions is contingent on contextual factors such as socio-demographic characteristics or relationship quality. However, there is limited research on how marital quality before spousal loss and gender influence the association between spousal loss and cognitive change. The current study examines the effects of spousal loss on change in cognitive functioning as well as the moderating effects of pre-loss marital quality and gender. Data from two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study were analyzed (MIDUS2: 2004-05, MIDUS3: 2013-14). The analytic sample consists of two groups: (1) 179 bereaved adults who were age 54 or older at MIDUS2 (M = 65.2, SD = 9.5) and whose spouses died between MIDUS2 and MIDUS3, and (2) 179 non-bereaved adults, matched with the bereaved group on age and gender, who did not experience spousal loss between the two waves. Cognitive function was assessed via BTACT (Brief Telephone Adult Cognition Test) at both waves. Regression results show that both pre-loss marital quality and gender significantly moderate the association between spousal loss and change in cognitive functioning. Specifically, relative to their counterparts, men and those who reported better marital relationships prior to spousal death had a greater risk of cognitive decline after a spouse’s death. The findings suggest the significance of pre-loss marital quality and gender for cognitive changes in widowhood and have implications for the development of efficient interventions

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Precarious Work, Marital Quality, and Divorce: A Gendered Dyadic Analysis of Aging Couples

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.2043 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 605-605

Author(s):

Rachel Donnelly

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Job Insecurity ◽

Dyadic Analysis ◽

Dyadic Data ◽

Precarious Work ◽

Aging Adults ◽

Midlife Adults ◽

Marital Strain ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Precarious work – work that is unstable and insecure – is often stressful and may contribute to marital strain and dissolution among midlife adults. However, prior research has not considered how precarious work spills over to spouses. Using longitudinal dyadic data of midlife couples from the Health and Retirement Study, I examine whether having a spouse in precarious work is associated with marital strain and dissolution, with attention to differences by gender. I find that indicators of precarious work (job insecurity, schedule variability) are associated with a heightened risk of marital strain and divorce in midlife. These patterns depend on the gender of the spouse experiencing precarious work. Understanding the implications of precarious work for marriage is important because poor marital quality and divorce hasten health declines at older ages. Thus, this study suggests that precarious work may be a risk factor for divorce and poor health among aging adults.

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Marital Quality and Mental Health Among Caregiving Dyads

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1943 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 583-583

Author(s):

Christine Proulx ◽

Hanamori Skoblow ◽

Sae Hwang Han

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Protective Effect ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Negative Association ◽

Spousal Caregiver ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Partner Effect ◽

Caregiver Group

Abstract We examined whether the associations between marital quality and mental health were equally strong among dyads in which one spouse was providing care to a spouse (n = 155), parent (n = 61), or another adult (n = 176). Using Wave 2 of the NSHAP and actor-partner interdependence (APIM) models, we found significant differences (p=.004) among groups. Marital quality was negatively associated with one’s own depressive symptoms (b=-1.29) for husbands in the spousal caregiver group, whereas marital quality was negatively associated with one’s own depressive symptoms for wives in both the parental (b=-1.27) and other adult (b=-1.96) caregiver groups. The only partner effect was the negative association between wives’ marital quality and husbands’ depressive symptoms (b=-2.59) among dyads in which one spouse was a parental caregiver. These results point to the importance of understanding the context of caregiving when examining the protective effect of spouses’ marital quality on mental health.

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