Socioeconomic status and the prevalence of health problems among married couples in late midlife.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of mutually occurring health problems among married couples in late midlife.

METHODS: Data consisted of 4746 married couples aged 51 to 61 years from the 1992 US Health and Retirement Study. Two health measures were used: (1) self-assessed health status and (2) an index of functional limitations and activity restrictions. SES indicators were household income, education, and insurance coverage.

RESULTS: In general, after adjustment for age cohort, a strong association was found between the health of a married individual and the health of his or her spouse. SES was highly associated with the joint occurrence of health problems among marriage partners.

CONCLUSIONS: Public health policy should pay particular attention to the interaction between health, SES, and interpersonal relationships.