Ching-Ju Chiu1, Yu-Cheng Lin2. 1. Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Electronic address: cjchiu@mail.ncku.edu.tw. 2. Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Relationship of spousal health and biomarkers over six years were examined. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Nationally representative sample of 483 adults aged 54+ in Taiwan were followed for six years. Four classes of spousal health changes and three categories of biomarker indexes were examined. Biomarkers were assessed by counting the adverse progression on items of allostatic load (AL), cardiovascular disease biomarkers (CVD), and metabolic syndromes, respectively. RESULTS: When the health status of an individual's spouse became worse, women increased their AL by 0.48 (P < 0.05), CVD by 0.56 (P < .001), and metabolic syndrome by 0.43 (P < 0.05). If the health status of a woman's spouse remained poor, it increased her allostatic load by 0.60 (P < 0.05). These effects were only observed in women. In addition, when the health status of a men's spouse became better, man's biomarker profile on AL significantly improved by 0.80 (P < 0.05). No significant moderating effect of education was observed in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Married couples display concordance in both physical and mental health-related biomarkers, specifically, allostatic load. Women were more likely than men to experience adverse biomarker progress on all the biomarkers examined in this study when the status of their spouse became worse based on their subjective judgment, and men were more sensitive to positive health changes in their spouse than women.
OBJECTIVE: Relationship of spousal health and biomarkers over six years were examined. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Nationally representative sample of 483 adults aged 54+ in Taiwan were followed for six years. Four classes of spousal health changes and three categories of biomarker indexes were examined. Biomarkers were assessed by counting the adverse progression on items of allostatic load (AL), cardiovascular disease biomarkers (CVD), and metabolic syndromes, respectively. RESULTS: When the health status of an individual's spouse became worse, women increased their AL by 0.48 (P < 0.05), CVD by 0.56 (P < .001), and metabolic syndrome by 0.43 (P < 0.05). If the health status of a woman's spouse remained poor, it increased her allostatic load by 0.60 (P < 0.05). These effects were only observed in women. In addition, when the health status of a men's spouse became better, man's biomarker profile on AL significantly improved by 0.80 (P < 0.05). No significant moderating effect of education was observed in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: Married couples display concordance in both physical and mental health-related biomarkers, specifically, allostatic load. Women were more likely than men to experience adverse biomarker progress on all the biomarkers examined in this study when the status of their spouse became worse based on their subjective judgment, and men were more sensitive to positive health changes in their spouse than women.