Related Experiment Videos
Spousal influence on general health behaviors in a community sample
Gregory G Homish1, Kenneth E Leonard
1Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA. ghomish@buffalo.edu
Objective:
To examine if one partner's premarital health behavior was longitudinally associated with his or her partner's health behaviors.
Methods:
Newlyweds were assessed at marriage and at 3 follow-ups with respect to frequency of general health behaviors: exercise, physical examinations, and healthy and unhealthy eating.
Results:
One partner's health behavior prior to marriage was associated with the other partner's health behavior over time. This was true for positive and negative behaviors for both men and women.
Conclusions:
Understanding how partners influence each other's health behaviors is important for health promotion and intervention efforts. Targeting the couple for health promotion activities could benefit the couple more than simply targeting individuals.
Related Concept Videos
Relationship Formation
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
Social Relationships and Well-Being