Marital stability, satisfaction and well-being in old age: variability and continuity in long-term continuously married older persons

Figures & data

Figure 1. Partnership satisfaction in happily and unhappily married (z-standardized means).

Table 1. Descriptives of the clusters at Time 1 and Time 2.

	Happily married	Unhappily married	U
Variables	M (SD)	M (SD)
Subjective health
Time 1 (n = 374)^1	3.91 (0.65)	3.62 (0.77)	20.077***
Time 1 (n = 252)^2	3.92 (0.61)	3.62 (0.80)	6.000**
Time 2 (n = 252)	3.89 (0.72)	3.62 (0.68)	6.911**
Hopelessness
Time1 (n = 374)	2.64 (0.55)	2.98 (0.54)	34.205***
Time 1 (n = 252)	2.61 (0.51)	2.91 (0.50)	9.948***
Time 2 (n = 252)	2.66 (0.58)	2.86 (0.58)	10.822**
Life satisfaction
Time 1 (n = 374)	5.84 (0.73)	5.26 (0.73)	24.417***
Time 1 (n = 252)	5.85 (0.74)	5.28 (0.76)	4.419***
Time 2 (n = 252)	5.78 (0.84)	5.16 (0.93)	5.100***
Social loneliness
Time 1 (n = 374)	0.15 (0.27)	0.27 (0.35)	14.033***
Time 1 (n = 252)	0.15 (0.29)	0.28 (0.38)	8.967***
Time 2 (n = 252)	0.13 (0.26)	0.27 (0.40)	10.575**
Emotional loneliness
Time 1 (n = 374)	0.05 (0.14)	0.16 (0.29)	13.369***
Time 1 (n = 252)	0.04 (0.13)	0.17 (0.31)	9.100***
Time 2 (n = 252)	0.08 (0.20)	0.18 (0.29)	9.943***
Extraversion
Time 1 (n = 374)	3.27 (1.02)	3.07 (0.95)	18.411
Time 1 (n = 252)	3.27 (1.03)	3.02 (0.92)	6.586
Time 2 (n = 252)	3.39 (0.62)	3.32 (0.72)	8.278
Neuroticism
Time 1 (n = 374)	2.61 (0.95)	2.82 (0.92)	14.249*
Time 1 (n = 252)	2.62 (0.92)	2.77 (0.89)	8.035
Time 2 (n = 252)	2.97 (0.69)	2.86 (0.67)	7.766
Resilience
Time 1 (n = 374)	5.56 (0.83)	5.53 (0.94)	15.095
Time 1 (n = 252)	5.63 (0.77)	5.44 (0.87)	6.676
Time 2 (n = 252)	5.39 (0.88)	5.32 (1.00)	7.749*

Note: *p< .05, **p< .01, ***p< .001, U = Mann-Whitney-U-Test; 1 = sample at time point 1, 2 = sample at time point 1 and 2.

Table 2. Predictors of subjective health.

Variables	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
Group (unhappily married)	–.178**	–.150*	–.127*	–.062
Gender (male)		.195**	.164**	.142*
Age		–.332***	–.283***	–.255***
Financial situation		–.134**	–.133*	–.107
Resilience			.219***	.211**
Extraversion			.146*	.151*
Neuroticism			.006	.012
Relationship strain				–.069
Health status of the partner				–.159*
R	0.178	0.400	0.475	0.503
Adujsted R^2	0.028	0.146	0.202	0.224
F for change in R^2	7.723**	11.823***	6.433***	4.244*

Note: *p< .05, **p< .01, ***p< .001.

Table 3. Predictors of emotional and social loneliness.

	Emotional loneliness				Social loneliness
Variables	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
Group (unhappily married)	.160*	.153*	.146*	.088	.187**	.187**	.176*	.139*
Gender (male)		–.056	–.042	–.014		–.041	–.028	–.016
Age		–.099	.054	.045		-–039	–.065	–.083
Financial situation		–.007	–.014	–.014		.116	.114	.101
Resilience			–.131	–.120			-.108	–.103
Extraversion			–.075	–.071			–.117	–.122
Neuroticism			.140*	.137*			.065	.060
Relationship strain				.115				.027
Health status of the partner				.100				.101
R	0.160	0.190	0.271	0.310	0.187	0.227	0.278	0.295
Adjusted R^2	0.021	0.019	0.045	0.060	0.031	0.035	0.049	0.051
F for change in R^2	6.093**	0.835	3.028*	2.786	8.538**	1.336	2.115	1.215

Note: *p< .05, **p< .01.

Table 4. Predictors of hopelessness and life satisfaction.

	Hopelessness				Life satisfaction
Variables	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4
Group (unhappily married)	.200**	.171**	.148*	.068	–.316***	–.302**	–.282***	–.180**
Gender (male)		–.209**	–.165**	–.128*		.191**	.155*	.103
Age		.346***	.220***	.205**		–.136*	–.049	–.039
Financial situation		.202**	.185**	.149**		–.223***	–.215**	–.169**
Resilience			–.376***	–.362***			.588***	.269***
Extraversion			.032	.037			.006	–.007
Neuroticism			.073	.067			.018	.011
Relationship strain				.153**				-.229***
Health status of the partner				.143*				–.155*
R	0.200	0.446	0.578	0.614	0.316	0.426	0.507	0.275
Adjusted R^2	0.036	0.185	0.314	0.352	0.096	0.167	0.234	0.304
F for change in R^2	9.762**	15.352***	15.490***	7.722**	21.919***	7.657***	7.708***	12.421***

Note: *p< .05, **p< .01, ***p< .001.