For Better or for Worse: Health and Marital Quality during Midlife. (12th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tracy, Eunjin L.; Utz, Rebecca L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of aging and health. Volume 32:Number 10(2020)
• Page Start: 1625
• Page End: 1635
• Publication Date: 2020-08-12
• Subjects: chronic illness -- health -- marital quality -- marital strain -- midlife; Older people -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1177/0898264320948305
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0898-2643

Abstract

Objective: To examine how changes in health are associated with marital quality over a 20-year period of midlife.Background: The health benefit associated with marriage (compared to non-marriage) is well established. Less work has explored how health and changes in a couple's health are associated with the marital relationship.Method: We used a sample of continuously married individuals who participated in three waves of the Midlife in the United States study ( n = 1768). Multilevel modeling separated within-person changes and between-person differences in the effect of health on marital quality during midlife and older ages.Results: Marital support was lower and marital strain was higher for those with worse health relative to peers. Marital quality decreased when health decreased. Effects were particularly strong when spouses' health statuses became more discrepant.Conclusion: Health—of both self and partner—plays an important role in determining the marital quality of married persons during the midlife years.