scholarly journals Couple relationships and health: The role of the individual’s and the partner’s education

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2-2019) ◽  
pp. 138-154
Author(s):  
Johannes Stauder ◽  
Ingmar Rapp ◽  
Thomas Klein

A positive correlation between couple relationships and health is well established. However, recent studies indicate that the beneficial effects of couple relationships on health vary substantially according to the characteristics of the relationship and of the partners involved. The present paper examines to what extent partnership effects on physical and mental health differ based on the individual’s education, the partner’s education and educational homogamy between partners. Our database is the German Socio-Economic Panel for the period of 2002 to 2016. Based on fixed effects analysis, our results show that a highly educated partner is more beneficial for mental and physical health than a partner with low education. In contrast, the effects of partnerships on health do not depend on whether the partners have same or different educational levels. The results also indicate that partnership effects on health depend on mate choice and on the potential to find a highly educated partner. Education-specific partnership effects on mental health are more prevalent for women, and effects on physical health are more prevalent for men.

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-316
Author(s):  
Ingmar Rapp ◽  
Johannes Stauder

Abstract This study focuses on two main questions. First, do non-cohabiting relationships have an effect on mental and physical health? And second, do non-cohabiting relationships affect health in a similar way as cohabitation and marriage? To differentiate between the selection effects of healthier individuals into a couple relationship and the causal effects of couple relationships on health, we test hypotheses about the accumulation of health effects over time. We apply fixed-effects estimation techniques to data from the German Socio-economic Panel. For women, mental health improves after establishing a non-cohabiting relationship and remains similar after starting cohabitation and after getting married. For men, only marriage improves mental health status. The impacts of couple relationships on physical health primarily depend on the duration of the relationship and slowly accumulate over time. In addition, effects are stronger for younger adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina J. Diaz ◽  
Michael Niño

It is well known that Hispanic immigrants exhibit better physical and mental health than their U.S.-born counterparts. Scholars theorize that stronger orientations toward the family, also known as familism, could contribute to this immigrant advantage. Yet, little work directly tests whether familial attitudes may be responsible for the favorable health of foreign-born Hispanics. We investigate this possibility using biomarkers, anthropometrics, and mental health assessments from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (N = 4,078). Results demonstrate that the relationship between familial attitudes and health vary depending on the outcome assessed. While Hispanics with strong attitudes toward familial support have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, those who report high referent familism display worse mental health outcomes. We find little evidence that familism is linked to physical health or that immigrant generation moderates the relationship of interest. Our results challenge assumptions that familism is responsible for the comparably better health of foreign-born Hispanics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S278-S279
Author(s):  
Jennifer Y M Tang ◽  
Cheryl Chui ◽  
Tuen Yi Chiu ◽  
Rebecca Chiu ◽  
Vivian W Lou ◽  
...  

Abstract Previous research that studies the impact of built environment on health often attribute the enabling effects of environment on physical activity participation and opportunities for social interaction. Few studies have explored how the role of subjective feeling, such as the feeling of connectedness with the community, affects the association between built environment and physical and mental health. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 2,247 residents aged 50 years or above in five districts in Hong Kong. We tested the mediation effect of sense of community in the relationship between physical environment and health using the path analysis. We administered a questionnaire to assess the residents’ perceived age-friendliness of outdoor spaces and buildings in the district. We used the Brief Sense of Community Scale and the 12-item Short-form Health Survey to measure sense of community and physical and mental health. We found that age-friendliness of outdoor spaces was modestly correlated with mental health (r = 0.10, P < 0.001) but not with physical health (r = 0.02, P = 0.4), whereas age-friendliness of buildings correlated with both (r = 0.05, P = 0.01; r = 0.06, P = 0.004). Sense of community mediated 25.9% of the total effect between outdoor space and physical health, 20.4% between outdoor space and mental health, and 42.5% between service and building on physical health. To conclude, sense of community was a partial mediator of the environment-health relationship. Future design of built environment should take into consideration its potential influence on sense of community and health.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Gaze ◽  
Rachel M. Reznik ◽  
Courtney Waite Miller ◽  
Michael E. Roloff

When individuals cannot resolve a disagreement in a single episode, the argument is likely to reoccur over time resulting in a serial argument. Prior research on serial arguing has shown that engaging in hostile communication during episodes and taking a resigned stance after episodes is detrimental to one’s physical health. This study investigates the mechanisms by which hostile communication and taking a resigned stance lead to negative outcomes in a sample of emerging adults. Mutual hostility is related to physical and mental health symptoms and this relationship is mediated by the degree to which the participants feel hyperaroused. Taking a resigned stance toward a serial argument with one’s parent is related to health symptoms and this relationship is mediated by the participants’ rumination after argumentative episodes.


Author(s):  
Lilia S Meltzer ◽  
Ron D Hays

Background: Nonadherence to blood pressure lowering medication is a main contributor to poor hypertension control. While trust in the medical profession has been found to be associated with health behaviors such as treatment adherence, it has rarely been examined in Hispanics with hypertension and its relationship with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unknown. Objective: We evaluated a priori hypotheses positing that trust in the medical profession would be associated with greater medication adherence, resilience, and, in turn, better HRQOL in patients with hypertension. The three specific aims of this study were to: 1) examine the overall association (total effect) of trust in the medical profession and HRQOL (self-reported physical and mental health); 2) assess whether the association of trust with HRQOL is mediated by medication adherence and resilience; and 3) evaluate whether these associations vary by ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic). Methods: A cross-sectional survey that included the PROMIS® global physical and mental health scales and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 was conducted with 201 adults (101 Hispanics and 100 non-Hispanics) under treatment for hypertension at a practice with seven cardiologists. A structural equation model was estimated to examine hypothesized associations (direct and indirect effects) among variables. Model fit was assessed via the chi-square statistic and three fit indices (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation; Comparative Fit Index; Non-Normed Fit Index). Results: The proposed model fit the data well and explained 37% of the variance in mental health and 15% of the variance in physical health. Trust was positively associated with physical health (β = 0.32, P < 0.001) and mental health (β = 0.43, P < 0.001). Trust was also positively associated with resilience (β = 0.18, P < 0.05), and medication adherence (β = 0.25, P < 0.05). Resilience was not significantly associated with physical health, but it was positively associated with mental health (β = 0.34, P < 0.001). Medication adherence was not significantly associated with either physical or mental health. Additionally, resilience partially mediated the relationship between trust and physical and mental health. And medication adherence partially mediated the relationship between trust and mental health, but did not significantly mediate the relationship between trust and physical health. A simultaneous group analysis indicated that Hispanic ethnicity did not moderate the associations between trust, medication adherence, resilience, and HRQOL. Conclusions: Findings suggest that trust in the medical profession serves as a protective mechanism for improving health in patients with hypertension by enhancing medication adherence, resilience, and global health irrespective of Hispanic ethnicity.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0044118X2095922
Author(s):  
Xiaochen Zhou ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Qi Wang

Friendship may be significantly associated with adolescents’ psychological well-being. Among various kinds of friendships, this study investigated two types of intergroup friendships among Chinese adolescents, specifically cross-hukou-location and cross-gender friendship. Fixed-effects modeling with a two-wave national dataset—the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS)—was performed to evaluate the relationship between within-individual changes in cross-hukou-location friendship, cross-gender friendship, and mental health status ( N = 5,297, boys: 50.18%, average age: 12.92 at wave 1). The relationship pattern among different genders was also explored. The results showed that cross-hukou-location friendship is positively associated with male adolescents’ mental health status. The cross-gender relationship is negatively related to mental health in the overall sample and female subsample. The findings not only emphasized the vital role of intergroup contact but also shed light on understanding the role of gender in intergroup friendship-making and the relationship with psychological well-being.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. Tavares ◽  
P. Vagos ◽  
A. Xavier

ABSTRACT Background: The identification of protection factors regarding older adults’ mental health is essential. Self-compassion, the capacity to be kind towards the self during challenging times, may be one such factor. Although still scarce, some research in this field has already been conducted with older adults. Our research question was the following: what is currently known about the role of self-compassion in the psychological (mal)adjustment of older adults? Objectives: To review any study designs, in any setting, where self-compassion and any indicators of psychological (mal)adjustment were assessed in participants aged ≥60 years. Design: A scoping review of English, Portuguese, and Spanish published and unpublished materials, using the EBSCOhost Research and PubMed databases and reference lists. Search terms included self-compassion, self compassion, older adults, elderly, seniors, and geriatrics. After screening and selection of the studies, we charted the relevant data. Results: Eleven published studies (2012–2018) were reviewed. Self-compassion was associated with, and a predictor of, diverse mental health indicators in older adults. Self-compassion was also associated with indicators of physical health, moderated the relationship between physical health indicators and mental health indicators, and mediated the relationship between diverse mental health indicators. Results were obtained with participants of different nationalities and age. All studies had a cross-sectional design, and most studies recruited well-functioning community residents. Conclusions: Self-compassion is beneficial for the psychological adjustment of older adults and may also benefit their biological functioning. Self-compassion seems particularly relevant for those experiencing more negative life events. Studies with more robust methodologies are needed in order to replicate these findings.


1998 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross St. George ◽  
Boyd Jones ◽  
John Spicer ◽  
R. Claire Budge

AbstractThe relationship between animal ownership and owners' health has received increasing attention in the recent human-companion animal literature. This article considers a new aspect of the human-companion animal relationship, that of compatibility between pet and owner. Compatibility is viewed as the fit between the animal and the owner on physical, behavioral, and psychological dimensions. A postal survey was used to test the hypothesis that compatibility has influences on physical and mental health that are independent of those due to owners' level ofpet attachment and human social support. A sample group of 176 pet owners completed a questionnaire containing a new measure of compatibility as well as standard measures of pet attachment, human social support, and mental and physical health. Results of multiple regression analyses indicated that people who are relatively more compatible with their pets report better mental health overall and fewer physical symptoms. Social support was positively associated with mental health. Pet attachment was also positively associated with mental health, but negatively with physical health.


2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 797-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy D. Windsor ◽  
Bryan Rodgers ◽  
Peter Butterworth ◽  
Kaarin J. Anstey ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm

Objective: The effects of using different approaches to scoring the SF-12 summary scales of physical and mental health were examined with a view to informing the design and interpretation of community-based survey research. Method: Data from a population-based study of 7485 participants in three cohorts aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64 years were used to examine relationships among measures of physical and mental health calculated from the same items using the SF-12 and RAND12 approaches to scoring, and other measures of chronic physical conditions and psychological distress. Results: A measure of physical health constructed using the RAND-12 scoring showed a monotonic negative association with psychological distress as measured by the Goldberg depression and anxiety scales. However, a non-monotonic association was evident in the relationship between SF-12 physical health scores and distress, with very high SF-12 physical health scores corresponding with high levels of distress. These relationships highlight difficulties in interpretation that can arise when using the SF-12 summary scales in some analytical contexts. Conclusions: It is recommended that community surveys that measure physical and mental functioning using the SF-12 items generate summary scores using the RAND-12 protocol in addition to the SF-12 approach. In general, researchers should be wary of using factor scores based on orthogonal rotation, which assumes that measures are uncorrelated, to represent constructs that have an actual association.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 651-664
Author(s):  
Hannah Rose Koerten ◽  
Leah Michelle Bogusch ◽  
Aniko Viktoria Varga ◽  
William H. O’Brien

The present study examined the relationship between the self-reported personal impact of the election of President Donald J. Trump, as measured by the Personal Impact of the Election Scale (PIES), and physical and mental health. A sample of 299 MTurk Amazon workers completed an online survey, including measures of the perceived personal impact of the 2016 presidential election, thought suppression, and mental and physical health. A mediation model was tested, with thought suppression included as a mediator of the relationship between the PIES and physical and mental health. Results indicated that thought suppression partially mediated the relationship between the PIES and physical and mental health. Specifically, the perceived impact of the election was positively associated with thought suppression (β = .51, SE = .01, p < .001), which was in turn negatively associated with physical health (β = -.25, SE = .44, p < .001) and mental health (β = -.50, SE = .47, p < .001). The results of this study suggest that perceptions of this sociopolitical event were related to the health of United States citizens and show a need for large-scale interventions to address this relationship, especially for those who feel threatened based on their ethnic or religious background.


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