The conceptualization and assessment of health-related social control

Abstract

Three studies examined the conceptualization and assessment of health-related social control in marriage. Using a sample of 100 couples, Study 1 tested the idea that social control is best thought of as the exercise of power and control in close relationships. Results did not support this conceptualization or assessment of health-related social control in marriage. Based on these results, Study 2 collected qualitative data from husbands and wives via focus groups to explore the use of social control tactics that couples use to change health behavior. Results indicated that many tactics reported by spouses are not contained in the social influence literature, and that the exercise of social control in marriage may best be characterized of as an interdependent communally oriented process between spouses. Using another sample of 109 married couples, Study 3 tested the reliability and validity of a measure developed from the qualitative data. Results indicated the new measure of health-related social control tactics evidenced better reliability and validity than the measure used in Study 1.

Spousal Involvement in CPAP: Does Pressure Help?

“…Cronbach's α for this scale (in the original form) has been reported as adequate (0.72 to 0.78.) 30 In our sample, the Cronbach's α for the 4 scales was similar (0.72-0.80). The adapted measure was administered 7-10 days after initiation of CPAP treatment and at 3-month follow-up.…”

“…28,29 Perceptions of spousal involvement in CPAP was measured using an adapted version of a 25-item measure of strategies couples use to influence each other's health behavior. 30,31 The original measure was developed using existing power/control measures as well as focus groups of couples discussing influencing each other's health, then subscales were assigned by 6 independent raters. In this study, we excluded 3 items from this measure because these items were not relevant to CPAP treatment (e.g., offering to change with the patient, making the change for the patient).…”

Marriage and cancer prevention: Does marital status and inviting both spouses together influence colorectal cancer screening participation?

“…8,9 It has been argued that women, as part of their role as 'family health gatekeepers', are more likely to attempt to change their spouse's behaviour than men. 10,11 We had already noted higher attendance rates in men in the UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (FS) Trial, which we hypothesized might be because married men were encouraged by their wives to attend screening. 12 However, Coyne and Bolger's 13 model of the effect of marriage identifies it as a form of mutual social control resulting from recognition of one's value to others, which may limit maladaptive (and promote adaptive) behaviour.…”

Patient and Partner Strategies for Talking about Lifestyle Change Following a Cardiac Event

“…Recent studies of young (presumably healthy) couples show partner attempts to encourage a healthful lifestyle take many forms, including positive and negative, bilaterial and unilateral, and direct and indirect tactics (e.g., Lewis, Butterfield, Darbes, & Johnston-Brooks, 2004). These couples also reported some tactics work better than others (Lewis et al, 2004;Tucker & Mueller, 2000).…”