Gendered Marital Power, Depression, and Cognition Among Older Adults in Mexico.

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci

T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • * Using data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, the research analyzes how actors' (individuals') and partners' (spouses') perceptions of marital power relate to cognitive performance over time, with an emphasis on depression as a mediating factor.
  • * Results indicate that lower marital power is associated with decreased cognition, especially for husbands, while women's marital power imbalances lead to higher depression rates for both partners, suggesting a significant link between marital dynamics and cognitive health in older adults.

Article Abstract

Objectives: As Mexico rapidly ages, population-level cognitive issues and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (AD/ADRD) are projected to increase. Limited social welfare positions family members-especially spouses- as the main support resource. While past research suggests marital power imbalances relate with increased depression among Mexican older adults, how marital power imbalance relates with cognition and gender differences therein remains understudied. Accordingly, we investigate how perceived marital power relates with cognitive ability with attention to depression and gender.

Methods: We use the 2012, 2015, and 2018 (n = 2,643 heterosexual dyads) waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) and Actor Partner Interdependence Models (APIM). The APIM allows the cognitive function of each partner to be predicted by their own (actor effects) and partner's (partner effects) perceived marital power imbalance, evaluates gender differences, and the mediating role of depression.

Results: Own reports of lower baseline marital power were directly negatively associated with subsequent cognition only among husbands. Partners' baseline reports of marital power showed mixed direct associations with future cognition: husbands' higher marital power negatively related with wives' cognition whereas wives' lower marital power positively related with husbands' cognition. Wives' marital power imbalance predicted higher depression in each partner, and both own and partner's depression related with lower cognition, regardless of gender, suggesting that wives' marital power imbalance impacts cognition indirectly through depression.

Discussion: Our findings suggest that gendered marital power relations is a novel area for future research in the context of Mexico's aging population, enduring marriages, and entrenched patriarchal structures.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbae193DOI Listing

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