Mediation of Childhood Adversity and Health by Relationship Quality in Diverse Couples |
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Authors: | Naomi J Wheeler Sejal M Barden Andrew P Daire |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Counseling and Special Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA;2. Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL;3. School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA |
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Abstract: | Individuals with economic disadvantage experience greater (a) adverse childhood experiences (ACE), (b) risk for low relationship quality and relationship dissolution, and (c) disparity in physical and mental health. Thus, a critical need exists to understand the connections between areas of disparity in family and relational health on physical and mental health for those most vulnerable to the deleterious effects. The researchers therefore tested a dyadic model for the mediation of ACE and health by relationship quality with data from 503 couples with economic disadvantage and a racial or ethnic minority background (76.9%). The data fit the proposed model and explained a majority of the variance in health, 82.3% of the variance in menʼs health and 56.5% in womenʼs health—both large effects. Moreover, the significant indirect pathway between ACE and health through relationship quality contributed 98.05% and 57.40% of the total effects for men and women, respectively. Overall, a significant relationship existed between ACE, relationship quality, and health for men and women at the actor-level and the dyadic influence between members of a couple contributed to the overall model fit. Results add to support for the role of relationship quality as a dyadic social determinant of health disparities with implications for prevention and intervention. |
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Keywords: | Childhood adversity Couples Relationship quality Health Actor-partner-interdependence mediation model adversidad en la infancia calidad de la relaciones de pareja salud modelo de mediación de interdependencia actor-pareja 童年不幸遭遇 伴侣关系质量 健康 主体-伴侣依赖性 调节模式 |
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