Keywords
Socioeconomic status, Income, Marital quality, Relationship quality, Physical health, Ambulatory blood pressure
Abstract
Background Socioeconomic status is robustly associated with rates of death and disease. Psychophysiological stress processes are thought to account for a portion of this association. Purpose Although positive and supportive relationships can buffer psychophysiological stress responses, no studies have examined whether the quality of a primary adult relation�ship—marriage—may buffer the negative association be�tween socioeconomic status and stress-related disease processes. Methods The current study examines the interaction between income and marital quality (supportive vs. ambivalent) on individuals’ daily ambulatory blood pressure, a valid and re�liable indicator of cardiovascular risk. Results Results revealed that supportive marital relationships buffered the otherwise higher ambulatory diastolic blood pres�sure associated with low income. Conclusions Results are consistent with the buffering hy�pothesis of social support and suggest that a supportive spouse may buffer stress-related autonomic processes linking low so�cioeconomic status to risk for cardiovascular disease.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Birmingham, Wendy C.; Cundiff, Jenny M.; Uchino, Bert N.; and Smith, Timothy W., "Marital Quality Buffers the Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Ambulatory Blood Pressure" (2016). Faculty Publications. 6035.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/6035
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2016-4
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/8764
Publisher
Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Psychology