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The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

ABSTRACT: Marriages are often characterized by their positive and negative features in terms of whether they elicit feelings of satisfaction and happiness or conflict and negativity. Although research has examined the development of marital happiness, less is known about the development of negativity among married couples. We examined how marital tension (i.e., feelings of tension, resentment, irritation) develops within couples over time and whether marital tension has unique implications for divorce. Specifically, we examined marital tension among husbands and wives within the same couples from the first to the sixteenth year of marriage, as well as links between marital tension and divorce. Participants included 355 couples assessed in years 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 16 of marriage. Multilevel models revealed that wives reported greater marital tension than husbands. Marital tension increased over time among both husbands and wives, with a greater increase among husbands. Couples were more likely to divorce when wives reported higher marital tension, a greater increase in marital tension, and greater cumulative marital tension. Findings are consistent with the emergent distress model of marriage, but indicate that despite the greater increases in marital tension among husbands, wives' increased marital tension over the course of marriage is more consistently associated with divorce. (PsycINFO Database Record

SUBMITTER: Birditt KS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5644348 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

Birditt Kira S KS Wan Wylie H WH Orbuch Terri L TL Antonucci Toni C TC

Developmental psychology 20170814 10

Marriages are often characterized by their positive and negative features in terms of whether they elicit feelings of satisfaction and happiness or conflict and negativity. Although research has examined the development of marital happiness, less is known about the development of negativity among married couples. We examined how marital tension (i.e., feelings of tension, resentment, irritation) develops within couples over time and whether marital tension has unique implications for divorce. Sp ...[more]

PMID: 28805435

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Project description:BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that having a marital partner with hypertension is associated with an individual's increased risk of hypertension, however this has not been investigated in sub-Saharan Africa despite hypertension being a common condition; the age-standardised prevalence of hypertension was 46.0% in 2013 in Namibia.ObjectiveTo explore whether there is spousal concordance for hypertension and hypertension control in Namibia.MethodsCouples data from the 2013 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey were analysed. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the odds of individual's hypertension based on their partner's hypertension status, 492 couples. and the odds of hypertension control in individuals based on their partner's hypertension control (121 couples), where both members had hypertension. Separate models were built for female and male outcomes for both research questions to allow independent consideration of risk factors to be analysed for female and males.ResultsThe unadjusted odds ratio of 1.57 (CI 1.10-2.24) for hypertension among individuals (both sexes) whose partner had hypertension compared to those whose partner did not have hypertension, was attenuated to aOR 1.35 (CI 0.91-2.00) for females (after adjustment for age, BMI, diabetes, residence, individual and partner education) and aOR 1.42 (CI 0.98-2.07) for males (after adjustment for age and BMI). Females and males were significantly more likely to be in control of their hypertension if their partner also had controlled hypertension, aOR 3.69 (CI 1.23-11.12) and aOR 3.00 (CI 1.07-8.36) respectively.ConclusionsHaving a partner with hypertension was positively associated with having hypertension among married Namibian adults, although not statistically significant after adjustment. Partner's hypertension control was significantly associated with individual hypertension control. Couples-focused interventions, such as routine partner screening of hypertensive individuals, could be developed in Namibia.

Project description:ImportanceSeveral studies have shown that older married couples share a propensity for accruing the same cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and dyslipidemia. However, it remains unclear if these spousal associations reflect their shared home environment and lifestyle or the tendency to choose a partner with a similar perspective on lifestyle choices and behaviors (assortative mating). Evaluating these associations in young, newly married couples may help to differentiate between these 2 possibilities.ObjectiveTo evaluate the spousal concordance of cardiovascular risk factors in young, newly married couples.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective cohort study recruited 831 couples around the time of marriage registration in Liuyang, China, from February 1, 2009, to November 4, 2015. Statistical analysis was performed from April to May 2021.Main outcomes and measuresSpousal concordance of cardiovascular risk factors. Both partners underwent systematic assessment of cardiovascular risk factors, including evaluation of anthropometrics, blood pressure, and fasting lipids.ResultsAmong the 831 participating couples, mean (SD) age was 24 (3) years in the women and 26 (4) years in the men. There were significant correlations between spouses in systolic blood pressure (r = 0.43; P < .001), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.36; P < .001), total cholesterol (r = 0.13; P < .001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.11; P = .003), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (r = 0.22, P < .001), and triglycerides (r = 0.13; P = .001). After adjustment for covariates (age, household income, education level, smoking, and either body mass index or waist circumference), significant correlations persisted between spouses in their systolic blood pressure (r = 0.42; P < .001), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.34; P < .001), HDL cholesterol (r = 0.17; P < .001), and triglycerides (r = 0.10; P = .04).Conclusions and relevanceThis cohort study found spousal concordance of cardiovascular risk factors among young newly married couples. Assortative mating based on these concordant risk factors at the time of marriage may partially explain the shared vascular risk profile of older marital partners and raises the possibility of couple-based care.

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The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

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The development of marital tension: Implications for divorce among married couples.

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