The influence of spouse lower cognitive function on partner health and well-being among community-dwelling older couples: Moderating roles of gender and marital problems

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze longitudinal relationships between older spouses’ lower cognitive function and the health and well-being of their partners five years later and to assess the moderating roles of gender and marital problems.

Methods: Subjects were 404 community-dwelling older couples from the Alameda County Study. Baseline cognitive function was measured with a scale assessing problems remembering names, finding the right word, misplacing things and paying attention. Follow-up measures included five health and well-being outcomes. Statistical models adjusted for paired data and included spouse and partner cognitive function as well as partner baseline values for each outcome. Interaction terms assessed gender differences; stratified models assessed the moderating roles of marital problems.

Results: Husbands’ lower cognitive function was associated with subsequent poorer health and well-being for their wives; however, these associations were significant only for the 52% reporting few or no marital problems. Wives’ lower cognitive function was not associated with any outcomes for their husbands.

Conclusion: Our findings support early identification of cognitive decline and development of assistive strategies for wives dealing with relationship changes associated with lower cognitive function in their husbands. Although our finding that associations were limited to wives in marriages with few or no problems is consistent with a communication framework, further research is necessary to better understand this strong gender difference.

Keywords:

• dementia
• longitudinal study
• sex differences