Department of Human Development and Family Science.
Department of Public Health Sciences.
J Fam Psychol. 2020 Aug;34(5):630-641. doi: 10.1037/fam0000644. Epub 2020 Feb 27.
Although previous studies have documented spousal resemblance in health attributes, questions remain regarding the longitudinal resemblance of spouses' body mass index (BMI) and the possible formation of couple-level BMI trajectory patterns. Consequentially, we know little about how the longitudinal resemblance of spouses' BMI may link couples' varying socioeconomic experiences to their physical health outcomes in later years. Thus, the present study using prospective data from a sample of 255 couples in enduring marriages over a period of 26 years (from 1991 to 2017) examined (a) the existence of couple-level BMI trajectory patterns in mid-later years, (b) their social stratification into heterogeneous groups of couples associated with family economic hardship (FEH), and (c) differential later-life health outcomes of these groups. The results provided evidence for groups of couples with distinct BMI trajectory patterns. These groups were associated with latent groups of FEH trajectories, suggesting a persistent association between couple BMI and FEH. Couple BMI trajectory patterns were consequential for physical health consequences in later years. Two features of couple BMI trajectory patterns, severity and synchrony, were utilized to explain these associations. Taken together, the results provided evidence for a couple-level FEH-BMI-health process over the life course and emphasize the impact of severity and synchrony in couples' BMI for their health problems in later adulthood. Findings are discussed as they relate to health policies and interventions focusing on the well-being of married couples in later life, particularly the need for couple-focused obesity-related interventions and policies that mitigate economic hardship given its long-lasting health impacts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
尽管先前的研究记录了配偶在健康特征方面的相似性，但关于配偶体重指数（BMI）的纵向相似性以及夫妻 BMI 轨迹模式的可能形成，仍存在一些问题。因此，我们对于配偶 BMI 的纵向相似性如何将夫妻不同的社会经济经历与其晚年的身体健康结果联系起来知之甚少。因此，本研究使用了 255 对持久婚姻中夫妇的前瞻性数据（从 1991 年到 2017 年持续了 26 年），检验了（a）中晚年夫妻 BMI 轨迹模式的存在，（b）将其分为与家庭经济困难（FEH）相关的异质夫妇群体，以及（c）这些群体在晚年的不同健康结果。研究结果为具有不同 BMI 轨迹模式的夫妇群体提供了证据。这些群体与 FEH 轨迹的潜在群体相关，表明夫妻 BMI 与 FEH 之间存在持久的关联。夫妻 BMI 轨迹模式对晚年的身体健康后果具有重要意义。夫妻 BMI 轨迹模式的两个特征，严重程度和同步性，用于解释这些关联。总之，研究结果为生命历程中夫妻层面的 FEH-BMI-健康过程提供了证据，并强调了夫妻 BMI 的严重程度和同步性对他们晚年健康问题的影响。研究结果与关注已婚夫妇晚年福祉的健康政策和干预措施有关，特别是需要针对肥胖的夫妻为重点的干预措施和政策，以减轻经济困难对健康的持久影响。（PsycInfo 数据库记录（c）2020 APA，保留所有权利）。
