IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v75y2012i6p1114-1121.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The promotion of unhealthy habits in gay, lesbian, and straight intimate partnerships

Author

Listed:
  • Reczek, Corinne

Abstract

Health habits are linked to nearly half of U.S. and British deaths annually. While a legacy of research suggests that marriage has important positive consequences for health habits, recent work emphasizes that intimate ties can also deter from healthy habits and promote unhealthy habits. However, few studies examine the mechanisms through which unhealthy habits are promoted in marriage. Moreover, little research explores how unhealthy habits are promoted in intimate ties other than marriage—such as in gay and lesbian cohabiting relationships. The present study analyzes the mechanisms through which gay, lesbian, and straight long-term partners (N = 120) contribute to one another's unhealthy habits. Three distinct mechanisms emerge. First, respondents identify a process of unilateral health habit diffusion wherein one partner's health habits directly influence the other partners' habits. Second, respondents describe bilateral unhealthy habit diffusion, wherein both partner's unhealthy habits are reinforced via mutual pleasure seeking or mutual failed motivation. Third, respondents describe a discourse of personal responsibility, wherein both partners purposefully fail to deter one another's unhealthy habits. Analysis further illustrates how these mechanisms operate differently for men and women in gay, lesbian, and straight relationships.

Suggested Citation

  • Reczek, Corinne, 2012. "The promotion of unhealthy habits in gay, lesbian, and straight intimate partnerships," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(6), pages 1114-1121.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:6:p:1114-1121
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.019
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612003759
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.019?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lewis, Megan A. & McBride, Colleen M. & Pollak, Kathryn I. & Puleo, Elaine & Butterfield, Rita M. & Emmons, Karen M., 2006. "Understanding health behavior change among couples: An interdependence and communal coping approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(6), pages 1369-1380, March.
    2. Courtenay, Will H., 2000. "Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: a theory of gender and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(10), pages 1385-1401, May.
    3. Connell, Raewyn, 2012. "Gender, health and theory: Conceptualizing the issue, in local and world perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1675-1683.
    4. Meyler, Deanna & Stimpson, Jim P. & Peek, M. Kristen, 2007. "Health concordance within couples: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(11), pages 2297-2310, June.
    5. Gunnar Andersson & Turid Noack & Ane Seierstad & Harald Weedon-Fekjær, 2006. "The demographics of same-sex marriages in Norway and Sweden," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(1), pages 79-98, February.
    6. Huebner, D.M. & Rebchook, G.M. & Kegeles, S.M., 2004. "Experiences of harassment, discrimination, and physical violence among young gay and bisexual men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(7), pages 1200-1203.
    7. Mays, V.M. & Cochran, S.D., 2001. "Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(11), pages 1869-1876.
    8. Conron, K.J. & Mimiaga, M.J. & Landers, S.J., 2010. "A population-based study of sexual orientation identity and gender differences in adult health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(10), pages 1953-1960.
    9. Umberson, Debra, 1992. "Gender, marital status and the social control of health behavior," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 907-917, April.
    10. Sobal, Jeffery & Rauschenbach, Barbara & Frongillo, Edward A., 2003. "Marital status changes and body weight changes: a US longitudinal analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(7), pages 1543-1555, April.
    11. Wilson, Sven E., 2002. "The health capital of families: an investigation of the inter-spousal correlation in health status," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(7), pages 1157-1172, October.
    12. Reczek, Corinne & Umberson, Debra, 2012. "Gender, health behavior, and intimate relationships: Lesbian, gay, and straight contexts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1783-1790.
    13. Gruskin, E.P. & Greenwood, G.L. & Matevia, M. & Pollack, L.M. & Bye, L.L., 2007. "Disparities in smoking between the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population and the general population in California," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(8), pages 1496-1502.
    14. Heck, J.E. & Sell, R.L. & Gorin, S.S., 2006. "Health care access among individuals involved in same-sex relationships," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(6), pages 1111-1118.
    15. Gough, Brendan & Conner, Mark T., 2006. "Barriers to healthy eating amongst men: A qualitative analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 387-395, January.
    16. Pachucki, M.A. & Jacques, P.F. & Christakis, N.A., 2011. "Social network concordance in food choice among spouses, friends, and siblings," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(11), pages 2170-2177.
    17. Homish, Gregory G. & Leonard, Kenneth E., 2005. "Spousal influence on smoking behaviors in a US community sample of newly married couples," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(12), pages 2557-2567, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Russell Spiker, 2021. "Same-Sex, Same Health? Health Concordance Among Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(6), pages 1313-1340, December.
    2. Stefanie Mollborn & Aubrey Limburg & Bethany G. Everett, 2022. "Mothers’ Sexual Identity and Children’s Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1217-1239, June.
    3. Mize, Trenton D., 2017. "Profiles in health: Multiple roles and health lifestyles in early adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 196-205.
    4. Thompson, Tess & Ketcher, Dana & Gray, Tamryn F. & Kent, Erin E., 2021. "The Dyadic Cancer Outcomes Framework: A general framework of the effects of cancer on patients and informal caregivers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    5. Corinne Reczek & Hui Liu & Dustin Brown, 2014. "Cigarette Smoking in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unions: The Role of Socioeconomic and Psychological Factors," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 527-551, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reczek, Corinne & Umberson, Debra, 2012. "Gender, health behavior, and intimate relationships: Lesbian, gay, and straight contexts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1783-1790.
    2. Missinne, Sarah & Colman, Elien & Bracke, Piet, 2013. "Spousal influence on mammography screening: A life course perspective," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 63-70.
    3. Jolidon, Vladimir, 2022. "Gender inequality and mammography screening: Does living with a partner improve women's mammography uptake?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    4. Corinne Reczek & Hui Liu & Dustin Brown, 2014. "Cigarette Smoking in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Unions: The Role of Socioeconomic and Psychological Factors," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 527-551, August.
    5. Pollitt, Amanda M. & Donnelly, Rachel & Mernitz, Sara E. & Umberson, Debra, 2020. "Differences in how spouses influence each other's alcohol use in same- and different-sex marriages: A daily diary study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    6. Wilson, Sven E., 2012. "Marriage, gender and obesity in later life," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 431-453.
    7. Shuai Chen & Jan C. Ours, 2018. "Subjective Well-being and Partnership Dynamics: Are Same-Sex Relationships Different?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2299-2320, December.
    8. Chen, Shuai, 2019. "Marriage, minorities, and mass movements," Other publications TiSEM 9cb1b11d-12e6-46a8-adca-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    9. Russell Spiker, 2021. "Same-Sex, Same Health? Health Concordance Among Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(6), pages 1313-1340, December.
    10. Bridget Gorman & Justin Denney & Hilary Dowdy & Rose Medeiros, 2015. "A New Piece of the Puzzle: Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Physical Health Status," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1357-1382, August.
    11. Ning Hsieh & Hui Liu, 2019. "Bisexuality, Union Status, and Gender Composition of the Couple: Reexamining Marital Advantage in Health," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(5), pages 1791-1825, October.
    12. Aalsma, Matthew C. & Carpentier, Melissa Y. & Azzouz, Faouzi & Fortenberry, J. Dennis, 2012. "Longitudinal effects of health-harming and health-protective behaviors within adolescent romantic dyads," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(9), pages 1444-1451.
    13. James Banks & Iris Kesternich & James P. Smith, 2021. "International differences in interspousal health correlations," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1152-1177, May.
    14. Xiaojun Liu & Dongdong Jiang & Xiangfan Chen & Anran Tan & Yitan Hou & Meikun He & Yuanan Lu & Zongfu Mao, 2018. "Mental Health Status and Associated Contributing Factors among Gay Men in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-11, May.
    15. Damien Bricard & Stéphane Legleye & Myriam Khlat, 2017. "Changes in Smoking Behavior over Family Transitions: Evidence for Anticipation and Adaptation Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-10, June.
    16. Joseph G. L. Lee & Adam O. Goldstein & Leah M. Ranney & Jeff Crist & Anna McCullough, 2011. "High Tobacco Use among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations in West Virginian Bars and Community Festivals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-12, July.
    17. Kissling, Alexandra, 2022. "“Thinking with my dad brain, not my man brain”: Understanding Men's and Women's sterilization risk narratives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    18. Wilson, Chris M. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2005. "How Does Marriage Affect Physical and Psychological Health? A Survey of the Longitudinal Evidence," Economic Research Papers 269622, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    19. Lhuissier, Anne, 2010. "Introduction - Maigrir : de la terminologie aux prariques," Review of Agricultural and Environmental Studies - Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement (RAEStud), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 91(2).
    20. Thomeer, Mieke Beth & Reczek, Corinne & Umberson, Debra, 2015. "Relationship dynamics around depression in gay and lesbian couples," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 38-46.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:6:p:1114-1121. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.