How Aging Same-Sex and Different-Sex Spouses Influence Each Other’s Health Behaviors
Change Over a Six-Year Period
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21461024 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Debra Umberson (0000-0002-1317-3934, The University of Texas at Austin, corresponding author), Sara E Mernitz (0000-0001-7448-1191, The University of Texas at Austin), Hye Won Chai (0000-0002-0180-6052, Clemson University), Yiwen Wang (0000-0002-6879-8974, University of Central Florida), Camila Pérez (0000-0003-3751-9044, The University of Texas at Austin), Charlotte Perez (The University of Texas at Austin) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1640275261430260-1640275261430260 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-28 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research on Aging (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0164-0275 • E-ISSN: 1552-7573 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01640275261430260 |
| PMID | 41762132 |
| OpenAlex | W7132818072 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Spouses often influence each other’s health behaviors through social control, yet most research relies on cross-sectional data from different-sex couples. Far less is known about how these dynamics unfold in same-sex marriages or evolve with age, despite their importance for population health. Using longitudinal survey data (n = 614) and daily diary data (n = 524) from mid-to-later-life same- and different-sex couples, we track six-year changes in social control tactics, reactions, and effectiveness. Supportive tactics decline, appreciation decreases, and irritation increases across couple types, although women married to women initially report greater appreciation. Over time, however, they experience the steepest declines in appreciation and the effectiveness of direct regulatory control. In contrast, joint health activities grow more effective for encouraging exercise across couples. These findings highlight the limits of regulatory control and the potential importance of collaborative approaches, with implications for interventions aimed at supporting healthy aging in diverse couples
Aging in place · Longitudinal data · Population · Population ageing · Psychological intervention · Spouse · Survey data collection · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Physical Activity and Health
Emotional experience improves with age
Social Control in Marital Relationships
Aging and Sexual Orientation
Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Older Adults
Self-rated health changes of individuals in same-sex compared to different-sex relationships
Health, Economic, and Social Disparities among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Sexually Diverse Adults
The Protective Effect of Marriage for Survival
Health and Health Behavior Concordance between Spouses in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages
The Gender‐as‐Relational Approach for Theorizing About Romantic Relationships of Sexual and Gender Minority Mid‐ to Later‐Life Adults
Daily Stress Reactivity Across the Life span
Gendered emotion work around physical health problems in mid- and later-life marriages
Spousal caregiving and crossing gender boundaries
Health-related social control among U.S. adults ages 30–80
Spousal care-giving arrangements in Europe. The role of gender, socio-economic status and the welfare state
Differences in how spouses influence each other's alcohol use in same- and different-sex marriages
Gender, health behavior, and intimate relationships
Marital status and gender differences in managing a chronic illness
The Social Connectedness of Older Adults
Romantic Relationships and Eating Regulation
The calm after the storm
When does spousal social control provoke negative reactions in the context of chronic illness? The pivotal role of patients' expectations
Health-Related Social Influence
Healthcare Work in Marriage
Marriage, Social Control, and Health Behavior
Marital Biography and Health at Mid-Life
Marital Quality, Gender, and Markers of Inflammation in the Midus Cohort
Self-rated health at the intersection of sexual identity and union status
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |