title: The Biobehavioral Family Model: Close relationships and allostatic load.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study tested the inclusion of allostatic load as an expansion of the biobehavioral reactivity measurement in the Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM). The BBFM is a biopsychosocial approach to health which proposes biobehavioral reactivity (anxiety and depression) mediates the relationship between family emotional climate and disease activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this study included a subsample of n = 1255 single and married, English-speaking adult participants (57% female, M age = 56 years) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II), a nationally representative epidemiological study of health and aging in the United States. Participants completed self-reported measures of family and marital functioning, anxiety and depression (biobehavioral reactivity), number of chronic health conditions, number of prescribed medications, and a biological protocol in which the following indices were obtained: cardiovascular functioning, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity, hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis activity, inflammation, lipid/fat metabolism, and glucose metabolism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Structural equation modeling indicated good fit of the data to the hypothesized family model (χ (2) = 125.13 p = .00, SRMR = .03, CFI = .96, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .04) and hypothesized couple model (χ(2) = 132.67, p = .00, SRMR = .04, CFI = .95, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .04). Negative family interactions predicted biobehavioral reactivity for anxiety and depression and allostatic load; however couple interactions predicted only depression and anxiety measures of biobehavioral reactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest the importance of incorporating physiological data in measuring biobehavioral reactivity as a predicting factor in the overall BBFM model.
authors: University of Iowa, Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education, N372 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States. Electronic address: jacob-b-preist@uiowa.edu.
authors: Jacob B
authors: JB
authors: Priest
authors: Texas Woman's University, Department of Family Sciences, P.O. Box 425769, Denton, TX 76204, United States.
authors: Sarah B
authors: SB
authors: Woods
authors: University of Iowa, Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education, N372 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
authors: Candice A
authors: CA
authors: Maier
authors: University of Iowa, Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education, N372 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
authors: Elizabeth Oshrin
authors: EO
authors: Parker
authors: University of Iowa, Department of Rehabilitation and Counselor Education, N372 Lindquist Center, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
authors: Jenna A
authors: JA
authors: Benoit
authors: Texas Woman's University, Department of Family Sciences, P.O. Box 425769, Denton, TX 76204, United States.
authors: Tara R
authors: TR
authors: Roush
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D052636:Allostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D000066949:Biobehavioral Sciences; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States
keywords: Anxiety; Biopsychosocial; Couple relationships; Depression; Family; Physical health