Correlates of diet-related spousal involvement among both members of couples managing diabetes.

Introduction: Spouses are often involved in facilitating each other's healthy diet through support and regulation (i.e., control), especially when one member has a chronic condition such as type 2 diabetes. This diet-related involvement is likely reciprocal, yet little is known about the implications of this type of involvement for the nonpatient spouse, as well as the implications of providing support or control. This study accordingly focused on the behavioral and emotional correlates of the receipt and provision of diet-related spousal support and control among both members of couples managing type 2 diabetes.

Method: Both members of middle-aged and older adult married couples (N = 296) in which at least one member had type 2 diabetes completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using multilevel models that controlled for sociodemographic and disease characteristics.

Results: The only patient status difference in any of the key variables was that spouses reported more diabetes distress than patients themselves. Receiving more frequent support was related to a healthier diet, whereas receiving more frequent pressure was related to an unhealthier diet. Providing more frequent support and persuasion were related to a healthier diet, but only among spouses without diabetes. Finally, the more frequent provision of all types of diet-related involvement was related to greater diabetes distress.

Discussion: Patient status did not seem especially relevant in understanding correlates of diet-related spousal involvement. Findings highlight the importance of examining and focusing intervention efforts on both members of a couple in later life when chronic conditions requiring dietary changes are prevalent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).