Cancer and quality of life in spousal dyads: spillover in couples with and without cancer-related health problems.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Poor health of one spouse can adversely influence the partner's health outcomes ("spillover"). This study aimed to estimate quality of life spillover among spouses and to determine how presence of cancer influenced these effects.

Methods

We examined data on husband-wife dyads with cancer-related health problems, medical events, or disabilities (n = 910) and matched comparison dyads from the 2004-2012 Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, a population-based survey of the USA. Mental and physical health-related quality of life and depressed mood were reported at two time points (T1 and T2, 11 months apart on average). Dyadic multilevel models evaluated the cross-lagged impact of HRQoL and depressed mood at T1 on spouses' HRQoL at T2, controlling for sociodemographics and

SUBMITTER: Litzelman K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4690790 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature