2. A Dyadic Approach to Health, Cognition, and Quality of Life in Aging Adults Kyle Bourassa, Molly Memel, Cindy Woolverton, & David A. Sbarra University of Arizona – Psychology Department

3. Interdependence Theory Interdependence theory (Kelly & Thibalt, 1959) suggests that interactions result in partner (dyadic) effects over time Actor-partner interdependence model (APIM; Cook & Kenny, 2005) Actor Partner Actor Outcomes Partner Outcomes Actor-Partner Interdependence Model

4. Aging couples’ health, cognition and quality of life Aging couples may face declines in physical health and cognition When one spouse faces these declines, it can impact their partner’s wellbeing Husband’s physical health and/or cognition Wife’s physical health and/or cognition Husband’s QoL Wife’s QoL

5. SHARE Data Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) includes a sample of 8,187 aging heterosexual couples Married over the 6 years and at least 2 assessments Average age 62 Assessments included: Self-reported health (1 self-report item) Cognitive tasks 10 word immediate recall 10 word delayed recall Verbal fluency Quality of life (CASP; 12 item self-report of subjective wellbeing in aging couples)

6. Study Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: We predicted there would be interdependence among aging couples quality of life over time Hypothesis 2: We predicted that partners’ physical health will predict their spouses’ quality of life Hypothesis 3: We predicted that partners’ cognition will predict their spouses’ quality of life Hypothesis 4: We predicted that these dyadic associations will be stronger for women than for men

7. Data Analysis The data were fit to three increasingly complex models Model 1: Included husbands’ and wives’ QoL over the 3 time points Model 2: Included the main predictors (cognition and health) Model 3: Included covariates of interest Participant age, gender, and education Depressive symptoms Caregiving status Couples’ years married and income

8. Bourassa, Memel, Woolverton & Sbarra. (2015). Psychology and Aging. r = 0.67r = 0.72

9. Model 3

11. Study Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: We predicted there would be interdependence among aging couples quality of life over time Hypothesis 2: We predicted that partners’ physical health will predict their spouses’ quality of life Hypothesis 3: We predicted that partners’ cognition will predict their spouses’ quality of life Hypothesis 4: We predicted that these dyadic associations will be stronger for women than for men

12. Implications Differences in partners’ in cognition and health across normative levels (rather than just extreme cases) are associated with spouses’ quality of life Focusing only on an aging individual in the context of health and wellbeing outcomes might miss the important effects that spouses (or other close relationships) have on individual outcomes

13. Future directions Mechanisms of the dyadic effects Change predicting change

15. Acknowledgements Thank you to my collaborators: Molly Memel, Cindy Woolverton, and Dr. David Sbarra Thank you to the SHARE study team for the great data they provide to researchers Thank you to Jeff Simpson, Maryhope Howland & Allison Farrell for inviting me to join this symposium