Dataset Information

Physical Intimacy in Older Couples' Everyday Lives: Its Frequency and Links With Affect and Salivary Cortisol.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Physical intimacy is important for communicating affection in romantic relationships. Theoretical and empirical work highlights linkages between physical intimacy, affect, and physiological stress among young and middle-aged adults, but not older adults. We examine physical intimacy and its associations with positive and negative affect and cortisol levels in the daily lives of older couples.

Methods

We applied actor-partner multilevel models to repeated daily-life assessments of physical intimacy (experienced and wished) and affect obtained 6 times a day over 7 consecutive days from 120 older heterosexual German couples (Mage = 71.6, SDage = 5.94). Physiological stress was indexed as total daily cortisol output, the area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg).

Results

Physical intimacy experienced and wished were reported at the vast majority of occasions, but to different degrees at different times. Within persons, in moments when participants experienced more physical intimacy, older women reported less negative affect, whereas older men reported more positive affect. Between persons, higher overall levels of physical intimacy experienced were associated with higher positive affect and less negative affect among women and with lower daily cortisol output among men. A stronger wish for intimacy was related to more negative affect among both women and men, and to higher daily cortisol output among men.

Discussion

Physical intimacy is linked with mood and stress hormones in the daily life of older couples. We consider routes for future inquiry on physical intimacy among older adults.

SUBMITTER: Kolodziejczak K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9583184 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Physical Intimacy in Older Couples' Everyday Lives: Its Frequency and Links With Affect and Salivary Cortisol.

Kolodziejczak Karolina K Drewelies Johanna J Pauly Theresa T Ram Nilam N Hoppmann Christiane C Gerstorf Denis D

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 20220801 8

<h4>Objectives</h4>Physical intimacy is important for communicating affection in romantic relationships. Theoretical and empirical work highlights linkages between physical intimacy, affect, and physiological stress among young and middle-aged adults, but not older adults. We examine physical intimacy and its associations with positive and negative affect and cortisol levels in the daily lives of older couples.<h4>Methods</h4>We applied actor-partner multilevel models to repeated daily-life asse ...[more]

PMID: 35286380

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Project description:IntroductionCOVID-19 has had a profound impact on relationship functioning, though effects have been heterogeneous. Reasons for divergent effects on relationship functioning remain unclear. Theoretical models suggest that it is not just stress exposure that leads to adverse relationships outcomes, but also subjective response to these stressors. Using data from a 14-day intensive longitudinal study of romantic dyads, we hypothesized that COVID-19-related distress would adversely impact one's own and one's partner's report of relationship functioning, on average. Interdependence at the between-couple and within-couple level was also examined.MethodsParticipants were 104 female-male romantic couples cohabiting the New York metropolitan area (Mage = 28.86, SDage = 7.69) between August 2020 - April 2021. Couples reported COVID-19 distress during a baseline interview and daily relationship functioning for 14 days. Multilevel models were specified for six outcomes simultaneously: female and male partner daily physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, and loneliness. Interrelationships of the intercepts of the six outcomes were specified, reflecting between-couple associations of each partner's stable outcome tendencies. Interrelationships of the daily residuals of the six outcomes were also specified, reflecting within-couple associations at the daily level.ResultsFemale partner COVID-19 distress was inversely associated with her own emotional and physical intimacy and positively associated with her own and her partner's loneliness. Male COVID-19 distress was associated with his own loneliness only. There was significant interdependence at the between- and within-couple level, such that greater loneliness in either partner was associated with less intimacy in each member of the couple.DiscussionOnly one partner effect for COVID-19 distress emerged, such that female partner distress was associated with male partner loneliness; however, interdependence at the between- and within-couple level suggested that distress may adversely impact relational well-being over time. Future studies should examine reciprocal relationships between COVID-19-related distress and relationship functioning.

Dataset Information

Physical Intimacy in Older Couples' Everyday Lives: Its Frequency and Links With Affect and Salivary Cortisol.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Publications

Physical Intimacy in Older Couples' Everyday Lives: Its Frequency and Links With Affect and Salivary Cortisol.

Similar Datasets

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