Madison Annelise A, Wilson Stephanie J, Shrout M Rosie, Malarkey William B, Kiecolt-Glaser Janice K
From the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (Madison, Malarkey, Kiecolt-Glaser), The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Psychology (Madison), The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Psychology (Wilson), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; Human Development and Family Science (Shrout), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; Departments of Internal Medicine (Malarkey) and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health (Kiecolt-Glaser), The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio.
Psychosom Med. 2024 Jun 1;86(5):379-386. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000001179. Epub 2023 Aug 7.
In long-term relationships, conflict is inevitable, but physical and psychological aggression is not. Intimate partner violence is a known risk factor for age-related disease onset, and inflammation likely links the two. This study explores relationships between frequency of constructive (i.e., negotiation) and destructive (i.e., aggression) conflict tactics with inflammation in both younger and older adulthood. Based on the theory of inflammaging, the study investigates whether these associations were stronger in mid-to-late adulthood.
At one visit, 214 participants in long-term romantic relationships had their blood drawn to assess six inflammatory markers (interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A (SAA), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule) and reported frequency of destructive and constructive conflict tactics with their partner in the past year on the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale short form.
Age interacted with number of destructive conflicts per year to predict serum IL-6 ( F (1,200) = 5.3, p = .022), TNF-α ( F (1,180) = 4.2, p = .043), sICAM ( F (1,193) = 7.0, p = .008), and marginally SAA ( F (1,199) = 3.7, p = .055), such that middle-aged and older adults who reported more destructive tactics had higher inflammation. Also, the relationship between constructive conflict frequency and TNF-α also depended on age ( F (1,177) = 4.9, p = .029), in that older adults who reported a greater number of constructive tactics had lower TNF-α.
Couples' conflict tactics may influence levels of inflammation and therefore aging rate in mid-to-late life. Middle-aged and older adults may disproportionately benefit from a healthy partnership and suffer from an unhealthy partnership.
在长期关系中，冲突不可避免，但身体和心理攻击并非如此。亲密伴侣暴力是与年龄相关疾病发病的已知风险因素，炎症可能将两者联系起来。本研究探讨了建设性（即谈判）和破坏性（即攻击）冲突策略的频率与青年和老年期炎症之间的关系。基于炎症衰老理论，该研究调查了这些关联在成年中后期是否更强。
在一次就诊时，214名处于长期浪漫关系中的参与者抽取血液以评估六种炎症标志物（白细胞介素-6 [IL-6]、肿瘤坏死因子α [TNF-α]、C反应蛋白、血清淀粉样蛋白A [SAA]、可溶性细胞间粘附分子 [sICAM]、可溶性血管细胞粘附分子），并在修订后的冲突策略量表简版上报告过去一年中与伴侣发生破坏性和建设性冲突策略的频率。
年龄与每年破坏性冲突的数量相互作用，以预测血清IL-6（F(1,200)=5.3，p=.022）、TNF-α（F(1,180)=4.2，p=.043）、sICAM（F(1,193)=7.0，p=.008）以及边缘性SAA（F(1,199)=3.7，p=.055），即报告更多破坏性策略的中年和老年人炎症水平更高。此外，建设性冲突频率与TNF-α之间的关系也取决于年龄（F(1,177)=4.9，p=.029），即报告更多建设性策略的老年人TNF-α水平较低。
夫妻的冲突策略可能会影响炎症水平，从而影响中老年期的衰老速度。中年和老年人可能会从健康的伴侣关系中获得不成比例 的益处，而从不健康的伴侣关系中遭受更多痛苦。
