Romantic partner undermining of weight loss: Links between overweight individuals' weight management efforts and perceptions of their partner's undermining motivations and behaviors

Couples-based health behavior change interventions: A relationship science perspective on the unique opportunities and challenges to improve dyadic health

Epidemiological studies indicate that better marital quality is associated with less morbidity and premature mortality. A number of interpersonal processes related to marital quality are also associated with health-relevant surrogate biomarkers across different physiological systems. Despite these replicated correlational findings, few interventions have harnessed interpersonal processes as potential interventions to enhance health. Building on Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser's model of relationships and health, we propose that couples-based health behavior change interventions may represent an effective way to decrease dysregulation across autonomic, endocrine and immune systems and, ultimately, improve dyadic health. Given that the cohabiting partner is an essential part of the social context in which the behavior change is being pursued, it is important to consider the relational issues triggered by dyadic interventions. Using a relationship science perspective, this article reviews the literature on couples' concordance in health behaviors and health outcomes, the potential pathways underlying this concordance, theories of the couple as a self-sustaining social system, dyadic adaptation of individual self-regulation strategies, effective and ineffective social support and social control in couple relationships, the integration of relationship-building and health behavior change strategies, and the consideration of key moderators related to the nature of the relationship and the context surrounding the relationship. These findings highlight the importance of adopting a relationship science perspective when designing and testing dyadic interventions to improve health outcomes. The data reviewed provide insights on how to optimize couples-based health behavior change interventions to reduce physiological dysregulation and improve dyadic health.

A dyadic analysis of anti-fat attitudes and partners' diet-related influence among gay married men

OBJECTIVES

The focus on physical appearance among gay men has potential implications for anti-fat attitudes, including those directed toward romantic partners. Partners often influence each other's behaviors including those linked to weight, but most research has examined the consequences of these influence strategies versus their antecedents. To address this research gap, we examined how men's own and their partners' anti-fat attitudes were related to both health-promoting (control) and health-compromising (undermining) types of diet-related influence and whether these associations differed by weight status.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Analyzing data from a cross-sectional online survey of 450 U.S. adult gay married men (225 couples), Actor-Partner Interdependence Models revealed that individuals' own anti-fat attitudes (all types) were positively associated with more frequent receipt of spousal control and undermining. Additionally, partner's fears about gaining weight were positively associated with more frequent receipt of spousal control and dislike of higher weight people and fear of gaining weight (among those of higher weight status) were positively associated with more frequent receipt of spousal undermining.

CONCLUSION

Our findings add to the literature on diet-related interactions among gay married men, highlight the value of examining these processes dyadically, and suggest the importance of including both members of couples in health promotion and intervention efforts.

Daily perceptions of romantic partner autonomy support and undermining of health behavior

OBJECTIVE

This study examined accuracy and bias in daily perceptions of a romantic partner's autonomy support and undermining of health behaviors and the associations between misperceptions and both partners' daily experiences.

DESIGN

A sample of 106 cohabiting couples from the community completed daily reports (N = 2377) of their own and their partner's autonomy support and undermining, and their daily experiences.

RESULTS

We found tracking accuracy and projection in perceptions of provider's autonomy support and undermining, and evidence of misperceptions: people over-perceived the provider's undermining and under-perceived the provider's autonomy support. Misperceptions were linked with more negative experiences, indicating support and undermining may have the most benefit and least harm when more accurately perceived.

CONCLUSION

Although there is some accuracy in daily perceptions of provider support and undermining of health behaviors, there are also biases at play in perceptions and misperceptions are linked with more negative experiences, indicating that support and undermining have the most benefit and least harm to both perceiving and providing partners when such behaviors are accurately perceived.