Center on Population Health and Aging
Pilot Projects
Pilot Project 1: Spousal Support and Diabetes-Related Behavior Change in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Linda Wray (PI), Carla Miller and Sherry Willis
Specific Aims
Type 2 diabetes requires adopting and maintaining multiple self-care behaviors to achieve and sustain optimal glycemic control. Two of the most difficult behaviors are adhering to healthful diet and increased physical activity (Ary et al. 1986). According to prior research, spousal support may mediate diabetes-related behaviors, glycemic control, and other health outcomes (e.g., Pieper, Kushion, & Gaida 1990; Ruggiero et al. 1990; Connell et al. 1994; Garay-Sevilla et al. 1995; Savoca & Miller 2001; Trief et al. 2001). Not known is what the spousal or partner relationship represents—shared resources, relationship quality, or psychosocial factors such as self-efficacy or cognitive functioning. To guide the design of effective diet and activity interventions, health care providers need more comprehensive information on the difficulties faced by people with diabetes—unique individual characteristics of the people with diabetes, behavioral aspects of the required changes, and extra-individual or environmental factors that influence behavior change. This study proposes to explore individual, behavioral, and environmental factors underlying the powerful couple relationship in response to diet and physical activity recommendations following a diabetes diagnosis in one or both adults in middle-aged and older couples living in Central Pennsylvania. The study's goal is to develop more refined measures and instruments for collecting data on diabetes-related behavior change in future research and, in turn, more effective interventions for adults living with diabetes. The specific study aims are:
- To discern what aspects of a spousal/partner relationship are associated with the link between diagnosis and recommended diet/physical activity changes and, in turn, to health outcomes;
- To assess what individual, behavioral, and environmental factors are associated with the links;
- To determine if men or women benefit more from the effects of the identified factors; and
- To speculate on the implications of the findings for future research on couples and health behaviors as well as interventions and health policy.
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