• 406-01 - Spouse Involvement and Diabetes Management in Later Life Couples. Presented by: Amber J. Seidel, Melissa M. Franks, Karen Rook, Mary Ann Parris Stephens
• 406-02 - Spousal Influence on Partner’s Dietary Choices for Diabetes Management. Presented by: Melissa M. Franks, Amber J. Seidel, Seda Sahin, Cleveland G. Shields, Shannon K. Oates, Carol Boushey
• 406-03 - Exploring Daily Health Symptoms in Older Couples and How They Relate to Seeking Medical Help: Rural vs. Urban, Male vs. Female, and Veteran vs. Non-Veteran Comparisons. Presented by: Jeremy B. Yorgason, Vaughn Call, Katie Gustafson, Wesley Godfrey, Ari Bond
• 406-04 - A Qualitative Comparison of the Impact of Lymphedema on Sexual Experience Among Breast Cancer Survivors. Presented by: M. Elise Radina, Mei Fu, Lori Horstman

Abstracts

Everyday Life: Spouses’ Interactions With Partners With Chronic Illness

Presented by: Amber Seidel, Melissa Franks, Karen Rook, Mary Ann Parris Stephens, Jeremy Yorgason, M. Elise Radina, Seda Sahin, Cleveland Shields, Shannon Oates, Carol Boushey, Vaughn Call, Katie Gustafson, Wesley Godfrey, Ari Bond, Mei Fu, Lori Horstman, Sara Honn Qualls

As chronic illnesses continue to rise in prevalence, married patients are likely to turn to their spouse for aid. In addition, the diagnosis of chronic illness may add disease-related stressors to daily life that are encountered by both marital partners. Dyadic approaches such as the developmental-contextual model suggest that married patients manage their chronic illness within the context of a relationship with their spouse and that this relational context influences their health-related interactions and behaviors. In this symposium, four presentations will focus on day-to-day aspects of life affected by chronic illness management including dietary habits, medical appointments, and sexual intimacy.