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Type A behavior in married couples in a family practice population
1Department of Family Medicine, Fairview General Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland.
Family Medicine
|November 1, 1987
Summary
Type A behavior is linked to increased job stress and specific health issues in men and women. However, Type A or B behavior in one spouse did not impact overall family function.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Type A behavior pattern (TABP) is associated with stress and negative health outcomes.
- Understanding TABP's impact on health and family dynamics is crucial for interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between Type A/B behavior and perceived stress, social support, health perceptions, psychosomatic symptoms, health habits, marital discord, and family function.
- To investigate potential gender differences in the manifestation of Type A behavior's health correlates.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Involved 72 married couples from a family practice residency patient population.
- Utilized self-administered questionnaires to assess behavior type and various health and family function measures.
Main Results:
- Type A men reported less sleep, more headaches, and higher job stress compared to Type B men.
- Type A women reported more frequent abdominal pains, backaches, and higher job stress than Type B women.
- Marital partner's behavior type did not significantly influence measures of family function.
Conclusions:
- Type A behavior is associated with specific health complaints and increased job stress in both men and women.
- Individual differences in Type A/B behavior do not appear to affect marital or family functioning.
- Spousal assessments of family function demonstrated high agreement, suggesting a shared perception of family dynamics.