Table 2.
Relative association and absolute similarity in weight status among the US married spouses, stratified by household/couple-level characteristics (MEPS 2006–2008).
| N $ of spouses | Absolute | Relative associations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Similarity | (2) Pearson's correlation coefficients | (3) Kappa coefficients between spouses weight status | (4) ORs between wife's and husband's obesity status | ||||||||||
| Mean BMI | BMI standard scores | Normal/overweight/obesity | Obesity | ||||||||||
| Husband | Wife | D £ | Partial r † |
95% CI | k | 95% CI | OR† | 95% CI | |||||
| Whole sample | 11254 (100%) | 27.9 | 26.3 | 1.6 | 0.24 | (0.21, 0.27) | 0.107 | (0.107, 0.108) | 2.5 | (2.2, 2.9) | |||
| Stratified by | |||||||||||||
| Couple's race/ethnicity | |||||||||||||
| Both NH white(ref) | 5758 (69%) | 28.0 | 26.0 | 1.9 | 0.26 | (0.22, 0.30) | 0.102 | (0.101, 0.102) | 2.8 | (2.3, 3.4) | |||
| Both NH black | 1127 (7%) | 29.0 | 29.2 | −0.2 | 0.21 | (0.14, 0.28) | 0.059 | (0.053, 0.066) | 1.7 | (1.2,2.3) | ∗ | ||
| Both Hispanic | 2646 (12%) | 28.3 | 27.8 | 0.4 | 0.20 | (0.14, 0.26) | 0.099 | (0.096, 0.102) | 2.3 | (1.8, 2.8) | |||
| Both were other | 755 (5%) | 25.4 | 23.5 | 1.9 | 0.29 | (0.18, 0.41) | 0.094 | (0.085, 0.104) | 3.4 | (1.3, 9.1) | |||
| Interracial/ethnic | 968 (7%) | 28.0 | 26.1 | 1.9 | 0.14 | (0.06, 0.23) | ∗ | 0.089 | (0.079, 0.098) | 1.8 | (1.2, 2.8) | ||
| Couple's mean age | |||||||||||||
| <30 y | 1540 (13%) | 27.6 | 25.6 | 1.9 | 0.27 | (0.19, 0.35) | 0.090 | (0.085, 0.095) | 3.0 | (2.1, 4.4) | |||
| 30–39 y | 3227 (26%) | 28.1 | 26.3 | 1.8 | 0.28 | (0.23, 0.34) | 0.116 | (0.114, 0.119) | 2.9 | (2.3, 3.7) | |||
| 40–54 y | 4241 (39%) | 28.2 | 26.5 | 1.7 | 0.21 | (0.16, 0.27) | 0.116 | (0.115, 0.118) | 2.4 | (1.9, 3.1) | |||
| ≥55 years | 2246 (22%) | 27.4 | 26.4 | 1.0 | 0.20 | (0.14, 0.27) | 0.081 | (0.078, 0.084) | 1.9 | (1.3, 2.8) | |||
| Physical activity | |||||||||||||
| Both active | 4629 (45%) | 27.4 | 25.4 | 2.0 | 0.24 | (0.20, 0.28) | 0.102 | (0.101, 0.103) | 2.9 | (2.4, 3.5) | |||
| Only husband active | 2025 (18%) | 27.6 | 27.4 | 0.2 | ∗∗∗ | 0.23 | (0.17, 0.29) | 0.113 | (0.108, 0.117) | 2.8 | (2.1, 3.8) | ||
| Only wife active | 1438 (14%) | 28.5 | 25.8 | 2.7 | ∗∗∗ | 0.18 | (0.10, 0.25) | ∗ | 0.052 | (0.048, 0.056) | 2.0 | (1.4, 2.8) | |
| Both inactive(ref) | 3092 (24%) | 28.7 | 27.5 | 1.2 | 0.28 | (0.22, 0.33) | 0.128 | (0.126, 0.130) | 2.3 | (1.8, 2.8) | |||
| Family size | |||||||||||||
| 2 persons | 3345 (34%) | 27.5 | 25.8 | 1.7 | 0.20 | (0.14, 0.26) | ∗ | 0.089 | (0.087, 0.091) | 2.1 | (1.6, 2.8) | ||
| 3-4 persons | 5162 (47%) | 28.0 | 26.4 | 1.6 | 0.24 | (0.20, 0.28) | 0.109 | (0.107, 0.110) | 2.6 | (2.1, 3.1) | |||
| ≥5 persons(ref) | 2747 (18%) | 28.5 | 27.0 | 1.4 | 0.30 | (0.23, 0.36) | 0.130 | (0.127, 0.132) | 3.1 | (2.3, 4.0) | |||
| Employment condition | |||||||||||||
| Both unemployed | 873 (7%) | 27.1 | 26.7 | 0.4 | 0.22 | (0.11, 0.32) | 0.075 | (0.068, 0.083) | 2.2 | (1.4, 3.6) | |||
| Only husband unemployed | 625 (5%) | 28.0 | 26.9 | 1.1 | 0.09 | (−0.01, 0.20) | ∗∗ | 0.053 | (0.042, 0.063) | 1.3 | (0.7, 2.3) | ∗∗ | |
| Only wife unemployed | 2835 (22%) | 27.7 | 26.3 | 1.4 | 0.23 | (0.18, 0.29) | 0.109 | (0.107, 0.112) | 2.4 | (1.8, 3.1) | |||
| Both employed(ref) | 6899 (65%) | 28.1 | 26.2 | 1.9 | 0.26 | (0.22, 0.30) | 0.115 | (0.114, 0.116) | 2.8 | (2.3, 3.3) | |||
| Household income level | |||||||||||||
| Poor/near poor (<1.25 poverty line) |
1611 (8%) | 28.0 | 27.6 | 0.3 | 0.25 | (0.18, 0.32) | 0.107 | (0.102, 0.112) | 2.3 | (1.8, 3.1) | |||
| Low income (1.25–2.0 poverty line) |
1564 (10%) | 27.9 | 27.4 | 0.5 | 0.26 | (0.18, 0.33) | 0.092 | (0.087, 0.097) | 2.5 | (1.8, 3.4) | |||
| Middle income (2.0–4.0 poverty line) |
3545 (32%) | 28.2 | 27.0 | 1.2 | 0.25 | (0.19, 0.30) | 0.117 | (0.115, 0.119) | 2.6 | (2.1, 3.2) | |||
| High income (≥4.0 poverty line) |
4534 (50%) | 27.7 | 25.5 | 2.3 | 0.23 | (0.19, 0.27) | 0.102 | (0.101, 0.104) | 2.6 | (2.1, 3.2) | |||
| Receiving food stamp last year | |||||||||||||
| Yes | 705 (3%) | 28.5 | 29.2 | −0.6 | ∗∗ | 0.27 | (0.17, 0.37) | 0.162 | (0.153, 0.171) | 3.0 | (2.0, 4.5) | ||
| No(ref) | 10549 (97%) | 27.9 | 26.2 | 1.7 | 0.24 | (0.21, 0.27) | 0.105 | (0.104, 0.105) | 2.5 | (2.2, 2.9) | |||
Couple-level analysis: obesity: BMI ≥ 30; overweight: 30 > BMI ≥ 25.
$The sum of numbers among categories may not add up to 11254 due to missing data.
Testing for cross strata difference, compared to the referent stratum: ∗P < 0.05; ∗∗P < 0.01; ∗∗∗P < 0.001. (ref): the referent stratum.
£ D: difference in BMI = (husband's BMI − wife's BMI).
†Adjusted for individual level variables, including husband's and wife's ages, education years, race/ethnicity, physical activity, smoking, individual income, employment status, survey year, indicator of respondent, and missingness indicators.