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Instrumental- and Emotion-Focused Care Work During Physical Health Events: Comparing Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages

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Listed:
  • Debra Umberson
  • Mieke Beth Thomeer
  • Rhiannon A. Kroeger
  • Corinne Reczek
  • Rachel Donnelly

Abstract

Objectives:We consider emotion- and instrumental-focused care work and marital stress during significant physical health events in midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual marriages.Method:We employ the factorial method, an extension of the actor–partner interdependence model, to analyze survey data from 808 midlife gay, lesbian, and heterosexual spouses in 404 unions.Results:The amount of emotion- and instrumental-focused care work provided during physical health events, and the associations between care work and marital stress, depends on the gender of the respondent, gender of the spouse, and whether spouses are in a same-sex or different-sex union. For example, in both same- and different-sex marriages, women report providing more emotion-focused care work during their own health event than do men, and respondents report more health-related marital stress when the patient is a woman.Discussion:Investigating how midlife same-sex and different-sex spouses care for each other during a spouse’s health event expands understandings of gendered aging experiences within marriage. Findings can elucidate health policies and clinical strategies that best support the health of men and women in same- and different-sex marriages.

Suggested Citation

  • Debra Umberson & Mieke Beth Thomeer & Rhiannon A. Kroeger & Corinne Reczek & Rachel Donnelly, 2017. "Instrumental- and Emotion-Focused Care Work During Physical Health Events: Comparing Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Marriages," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 72(3), pages 498-509.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:72:y:2017:i:3:p:498-509.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gbw133
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    Cited by:

    1. Marissa M Rurka & J Jill Suitor & Megan Gilligan & Robert T Frase & Zhen Cong, 2023. "How Do Own and Siblings’ Genders Shape Caregivers’ Risk of Perceiving Care-Related Criticism From Siblings?," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 78(3), pages 520-531.
    2. Jessica A Kelley, 2021. "Diversity, Globalization, and Amplitude: Social Research on Age and Aging Is Meeting the Moment [Linking the levels: Integrating individual trajectories, historical contingency, and social policy c," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 76(1), pages 101-103.
    3. 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.
    4. Alexa Solazzo & Bridget Gorman & Justin Denney, 2020. "Does Sexual Orientation Complicate the Relationship Between Marital Status and Gender With Self-rated Health and Cardiovascular Disease?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(2), pages 599-626, April.

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