Older married couples and health promotion: joint decision-making process for long-term spouses.
The purpose of this study was to explore communication patterns between long-term married couples to better understand the process by which later-life couples participate in health promotion. Forty community-residing couples married for 30 years or longer were asked to respond to open-ended questions and to participate in a decision-making activity. The majority of couples made health decisions jointly, with wives acting as the final deciders 54% of the time. Most couples used positive communication strategies during a structured scenario. Findings highlight the importance of expanding beyond traditional individual-focused models to include joint decision-making processes. Implications for future research and for nursing practice are discussed.
Padula
Cynthia A
CA
College of Nursing, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881, USA.
McNatt
Merrilyn
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018454:Spouses; D014481:United States