Spousal Relationship Quality and Cardiovascular Risk: Dyadic Perceptions of Relationship Ambivalence Are Associated With Coronary-Artery Calcification

• Published in: Psychological science 2014-04, Vol.25 (4), p.1037-1042
• Main Authors: Uchino, Bert N., Smith, Timothy W., Berg, Cynthia A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Ambivalence; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Cardiovascular Diseases - psychology; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Artery Disease - psychology; Coronary vessels; Couples; Disease models; Dyadics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health; Health outcomes; Heart disease; Heart diseases; Humans; Interpersonal relations; Male; Marital satisfaction; Marriage - psychology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Partners; Perceptions; Personal relationships; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Research Report; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Social Support; Spouses; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Vascular calcification; Vascular Calcification - diagnostic imaging; Vascular Calcification - psychology
• ISSN: 0956-7976; 1467-9280
• DOI: 10.1177/0956797613520015

The quality of spousal relationships has been related to physical-health outcomes. However, most studies have focused on relationship positivity or negativity in isolation, despite the fact that many close relationships are characterized by both positive and negative aspects (i.e., ambivalence). In addition, most work has not accounted for the reciprocal nature of close-relationship processes that can have an impact on health. Using a sample of 136 older married couples, we tested whether actor-partner models of relationships that were either primarily positive or ambivalent (i.e., perceived as having both helpful and upsetting aspects) predicted measures of coronary-artery calcification. Results revealed an Actor × Partner interaction whereby coronary-artery calcification scores were highest for individuals who both viewed and were viewed by their spouse as ambivalent. These data are discussed in light of the importance of considering both positive and negative aspects of relationship quality and modeling the interdependence of close relationships.