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. 2001 Jan;91(1):131–135. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.1.131

Socioeconomic status and the prevalence of health problems among married couples in late midlife.

S E Wilson 1
PMCID: PMC1446505  PMID: 11189807

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of mutually occurring health problems among married couples in late midlife. METHODS: Data consisted of 4746 married couples aged 51 to 61 years from the 1992 US Health and Retirement Study. Two health measures were used: (1) self-assessed health status and (2) an index of functional limitations and activity restrictions. SES indicators were household income, education, and insurance coverage. RESULTS: In general, after adjustment for age cohort, a strong association was found between the health of a married individual and the health of his or her spouse. SES was highly associated with the joint occurrence of health problems among marriage partners. CONCLUSIONS: Public health policy should pay particular attention to the interaction between health, SES, and interpersonal relationships.

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Selected References

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