title: Marital quality and diabetes: results from the Health and Retirement Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Poor marital quality is associated with many different indicators of poor health, including immunologic and metabolic responses that have relevance for distal disease outcomes such as diabetes. We conducted this study to evaluate whether poor marital quality was associated with the prevalence of diabetes in a population-based sample of Americans over the age of 50.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were married adults from the 2006 (N = 3,898) and 2008 (N = 3,452) waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Participants completed an interview and a self-report questionnaire, and current use of diabetes medication and glycosylated hemoglobin obtained from blood spot samples were used to index diabetes status. Marital quality was assessed with items regarding perceived frequency of positive and negative exchanges with partner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decreasing frequency of positive exchanges and increasing frequency of negative exchanges with one's spouse were associated with higher prevalence of diabetes among men, but not women at both waves; gender significantly moderated the associations between partner exchanges and diabetes status for the 2006 data. The association between frequency of partner exchanges and diabetes status generally remained significant in men after accounting for demographic characteristics and other risk factors (obesity, hypertension, low physical activity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor marital quality as operationalized by rates of positive and negative partner exchanges was associated with increased prevalence of diabetes in men. These results are consistent with prior work on marriage and health, and suggest that poor marital quality may be a unique risk factor for diabetes.
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Whisman
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Li
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Arizona.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Sbarra
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine.
authors: Charles L
authors: CL
authors: Raison
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin