Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Well-being in older Mexican American spouses
M Kristen Peek1, Jim P Stimpson, Aloen L Townsend
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Route 1153, Galveston TX 77555-1153, USA. mkpeek@utmb.edu
Purpose:
There is a strong connection between marriage and well-being, with evidence suggesting that the well-being of one spouse is closely correlated with that of the other. However, among older Mexican Americans, there is little information about this phenomenon. To address this, we explore two research questions: Does one spouse's well-being predict the other spouse's well-being? Are there gender differences in these effects?
Design And Methods:
We assess information from 553 couples who participated in Wave 1 (1993-1994) of the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. Using structural equation models, we examined three aspects of well-being among older Mexican American couples: depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-rated health.
Results:
The findings revealed evidence of an association between the well-being of one spouse and that of the other. Specifically, the self-rated health of husbands and wives predicts that of their partners. However, there is evidence that husbands' depressive symptoms and life satisfaction influence wives' well-being, but not the reverse.
Implications:
The findings from this study are important because they add to the literature on the connection of well-being among spouses, point to important gender differences, focus on an understudied minority group with unique cultural characteristics, and have implications for the examination of well-being within a marriage framework.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Close Relationships and Culture
Equivalent Couples
Two couples are considered to be equivalent if they produce the same rotational effect on a rigid body. In other words, the two couples have the same magnitude and act in the same direction, causing the same angular displacement or acceleration in the body.
For instance, consider two couples lying in the plane of the page, with one having a pair of equal...
Couples Therapy
Core Principles and Techniques
Couples therapy often incorporates cognitive-behavioral principles to identify and modify negative...
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Relationship Formation
