Marital Quality and Occurrence of the Metabolic Syndrome in Women

Wendy Troxel

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Health disparities and outcomes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Marital status is associated with the early stages and progression of cardiovascular disease, an association that may stem in part from the influence of marital quality on metabolic factors. The objective of this study was to examine whether women reporting marital satisfaction are at reduced risk of developing the metabolic syndrome compared with other women. METHODS: Four hundred thirteen middle-aged women from the Pittsburgh Healthy Women Study completed measures of marital status and marital satisfaction at baseline and 3 years later. Metabolic syndrome (diagnosed according to the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program) was assessed at baseline and at the last follow-up visit (an average of 11.5 years later). RESULTS: Compared with maritally satisfied women, maritally dissatisfied (odds ratio [OR], 3.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46-6.24), divorced (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.02-5.97), and widowed (OR, 5.82; 95% CI, 1.88-18.03) women were significantly more likely to have the metabolic syndrome at follow-up. The differences between maritally satisfied women and dissatisfied (OR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.42-7.15) and widowed (OR, 5.69; 95% CI, 1.70-9.04) women remained significant in the full multivariate model. The difference between maritally satisfied women and divorced women (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 0.89-6.18) was reduced to marginal significance in the full multivariate model. Single (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 0.84-9.64) and moderately satisfied (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.35-3.21) women did not differ significantly from maritally satisfied women. CONCLUSIONS: Women in high-quality marriages are at lower risk of developing the metabolic syndrome. Social histories of patients should include assessment of marital quality.

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References

1959Short Marital-Adjustment and Prediction Tests: Their Reliability and Validity 2001Marriage and health: His and hers.1985Measuring the Functional Components of Social Support 2015Assessment of Depression: The Depression Inventory 1990The Impact of the Family on Health: The Decade in Review 1992Analysis of the association between marital relationships and health problems: An interactional perspective.2000Marital Status and Mortality 1999Social control in personal relationships: Impact on health behaviors and psychological distress.

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