. 2011 Sep;66B(5):605–616. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbr091

Table 2.

Marital Quality as a Moderator in the Link From Vision to Functional Limitations, Feelings of Social Isolation, and Depressive Symptoms (N = 738)

	Functional limitations				Feelings of social isolation				Depressive symptomatology
	B	β	SE	t	B	β	SE	t	B	β	SE	t
Step 1 (sociodemographic variables)
Gender	0.86	.14	0.22	3.96***	0.32	.13	0.09	3.54***	1.59	.16	0.36	4.44***
Age	0.06	.16	0.01	4.42***	−0.01	−.06	0.01	−1.70	0.05	.08	0.02	2.31*
Education	−0.55	−.19	0.11	−5.22***	−0.03	−.02	0.04	−0.56	−0.72	−.15	0.18	−4.10***
Race	0.32	.04	0.27	1.18	0.29	.10	0.11	2.62**	−0.04	−.00	0.44	−0.09
F(4,733)	19.15***	6.30***	11.93***
R²	.095	.033	.061
Step 2 (test of direct relationships)
Gender	0.74	.12	0.22	3.42***	0.13	.05	0.09	1.48	0.97	.10	0.34	2.83**
Age	0.04	.11	0.02	2.97***	−0.02	−.10	0.01	−2.70**	0.02	.04	0.02	0.99
Education	−0.44	−.15	0.11	−4.13***	−0.02	−.02	0.04	−0.52	−0.56	−.12	0.17	−3.36***
Race	0.03	.01	0.27	0.13	0.20	.07	0.11	1.88	−0.68	−.06	0.42	−1.62
Self-reported vision	0.56	.19	0.11	5.00***	0.14	.11	0.05	3.14**	1.22	.25	0.18	6.88***
Visual acuity	0.47	.11	0.16	2.95**	0.03	.01	0.06	0.39	0.25	.04	0.25	0.97
Relationship satisfaction	−0.12	−.03	0.15	−0.78	−0.47	−.31	0.06	−7.95***	−1.32	−.22	0.23	−5.66***
Supportive spouse behaviors	0.44	.06	0.31	1.43	−0.22	−.07	0.12	−1.79	−0.42	−.03	0.48	−0.86
Time w/spouse	0.19	.03	0.21	0.90	−0.05	−.02	0.09	−0.58	0.12	.01	0.34	0.37
ΔF(5,728)	9.13***	25.06***	22.79***
ΔR²	.053	.142	.127
Step 3A (moderator test for self-reported vision [subjective vision])
Gender	0.74	.12	0.22	3.44***	0.13	.05	0.09	1.50	0.99	.10	0.34	2.89**
Age	0.05	.12	0.01	3.27***	−0.02	−.09	0.01	−2.61**	0.03	.04	0.02	1.23
Education	−0.42	−.15	0.11	−4.03***	−0.02	−.02	0.04	−0.41	−0.52	−.11	0.17	−3.13**
Race	0.02	.00	0.26	0.07	0.20	.07	0.11	1.84	−0.72	−.06	0.42	−1.73
Self-reported vision	0.44	.15	0.15	2.90**	0.10	.08	0.06	1.67	0.99	.20	0.24	4.06***
Visual acuity	0.46	.11	0.16	2.89**	0.03	.02	0.06	0.41	0.24	.03	0.25	0.95
Relationship satisfaction	−0.07	−.02	0.15	−0.51	−0.46	−.31	0.06	−7.86***	−1.28	−.21	0.23	−5.51***
Supportive spouse behaviors	0.23	.03	0.31	0.74	−0.21	−.07	0.13	−1.70	−0.45	−.04	0.50	−0.90
Time w/spouse	0.16	.03	0.21	0.77	−0.05	−.02	0.09	−0.59	0.10	.01	0.34	0.30
Interaction of Self-reported Vision ×
Relationship Satisfaction	−0.51	−.14	0.13	−3.80***	−0.06	−.04	0.05	−1.06	−.71	−.12	0.21	−3.35***
Supportive Spouse Behaviors	1.00	.11	0.35	2.86**	−0.03	−.01	0.14	−0.19	0.22	.02	0.56	0.40
Time w/Spouse	0.16	.04	0.22	0.75	0.08	.05	0.09	0.94	0.49	.07	0.34	1.42
ΔF(3,725)	5.78***	0.64	4.11**
ΔR²	.020	.002	.014
Step 3B (moderator test for visual acuity [objective vision])
Gender	0.74	.12	0.22	3.40***	0.13	.05	0.09	1.50	0.94	.10	0.34	2.74**
Age	0.05	.11	0.02	3.09**	−0.02	−.10	0.01	−2.71**	0.03	.04	0.02	1.16
Education	−0.43	−.15	0.11	−4.07***	−0.02	−.02	0.04	−0.53	−0.55	−.12	0.17	−3.30***
Race	0.07	.01	0.26	0.25	0.20	.07	0.11	1.88	−0.62	−.05	0.42	−1.49
Self-reported vision	0.56	.18	0.11	4.95***	0.15	.12	0.05	3.23***	1.21	.25	0.18	6.81***
Visual acuity	0.31	.07	0.24	1.29	−0.05	−.03	0.10	−0.49	0.02	.00	0.38	0.06
Relationship satisfaction	−0.13	−.04	0.15	−0.91	−0.46	−.31	0.06	−7.86***	−1.34	−.23	0.23	−5.76***
Supportive spouse behaviors	0.48	.06	0.31	1.56	−0.22	−.07	0.12	−1.80	−0.31	−.02	0.48	−0.64
Time w/spouse	0.19	.03	0.21	0.88	−0.05	−.02	0.09	−0.58	0.11	.01	0.34	0.34
Interaction of Visual Acuity ×
Relationship Satisfaction	−0.49	−.09	0.21	−2.40*	0.04	.02	0.08	0.43	−0.58	−.06	0.33	−1.77
Supportive Spouse Behaviors	0.88	.07	0.44	2.01*	−0.07	−.01	0.18	−0.38	1.79	.09	0.70	2.57**
Time w/Spouse	0.27	.05	0.31	0.86	0.12	.05	0.12	0.97	0.33	.04	0.49	0.67
ΔF(3,725)	2.68*	0.45	2.73*
ΔR²	.009	.002	.009

Notes: Higher scores represent poorer vision; more relationship satisfaction, more supportive spouse behaviors, and preference for free time spent doing things with the spouse; more functional limitations, feelings of social isolation, and depressive symptoms. Results for Steps 1 and 2 are identical for the models testing moderation of marital quality for the effects of self-reported vision and visual acuity. On Step 1, being female was associated with more functional limitations, feelings of social isolation, and symptoms of depression; being older and being less educated were associated with more functional limitations and symptoms of depression, whereas being of non-Caucasian race/ethnicity was predictive of more feelings of social isolation. Time w/spouse = free time spent with one’s spouse.

*p < .05; **p ≤ .01; ***p ≤ .001.