Moderation of associations between weight discrimination and diabetes status by psychosocial factors.

Weight discrimination has adverse effects on health that include increasing the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. Preliminary evidence suggests a positive association between weight discrimination and diagnosed diabetes; however, it is unknown whether psychosocial resources may buffer this association. In logistic regressions stratified by gender, we examined links between weight discrimination and diabetes among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project; N = 2,794 adults age 50 and older in 2015-16). We also tested the extent to which trait-resilience and social support from a spouse/partner, family, and friends buffered any observed association. We adjusted for known predictors of diabetes (age, race/ethnicity, Body Mass Index) and conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to men and women with obesity. Net of covariates, in the overall sample, weight discrimination was associated with significantly greater odds of having ever had diabetes among women (OR = 2.00, 95% CI [1.15, 3.47]), but not men. Among women with obesity, weight discrimination was only significantly associated with greater odds of diabetes for those with low resilience (OR = 1.84, 95% CI [1.01, 3.35]). Among men overall, weight discrimination was associated with lower odds of diabetes for those with high family support (OR = 0.03, 95% CI [0.003, 0.25]) as well as those with high friend support (OR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.13, 0.91]); similar effects were observed in men with obesity. These novel findings evince a role for psychosocial resources in buffering associations between weight discrimination and diabetes.

Disclosure of HIV-serodiscordant relationships and association with viral suppression: results from the Positive Plus One study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effects of disclosure of HIV-serodiscordant relationships on clinical outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the effect of relationship disclosure on HIV viral suppression, and hypothesized that disclosure by HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners would be associated with viral suppression in the HIV-positive partner. METHODS: We conducted a Canadian national online and telephone-administered survey of HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners in serodiscordant relationships. The primary outcome was self-reported viral suppression. Multivariable analyses were undertaken using Firth logistic regression. RESULTS: We recruited 540 participants in current serodiscordant relationships (n = 228 HIV-negative; n = 312 HIV-positive). Similar proportions of HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners disclosed their relationship to healthcare professionals (82% v. 76%, p = 0.13). Among HIV-positive partners, disclosure of the relationship to healthcare professionals increased the odds of viral suppression (aOR = 4.7; CI: 2.13, 10.51) after adjusting for age, education, and relationship turmoil due to HIV. Increasing age (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.55) and education (aOR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.15, 5.26) were also associated with viral suppression. Among HIV-negative partners, relationship disclosure was not associated with viral suppression and HIV-negative heterosexual men were less likely to report that their HIV-positive partners were virally suppressed (aOR = 0.24; CI: 0.09, 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Disclosure of HIV-serodiscordant status by HIV-positive participants to healthcare professionals was associated with increased odds of viral suppression. Similar effects were not evident among HIV-negative participants. Future work should explore factors that empower relationship disclosure and incorporate them into supportive services for HIV-serodiscordant relationships.

A national recruitment strategy for HIV-serodiscordant partners living in Canada for the Positive Plus One study: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: With the recent shift in focus to addressing HIV risk within relationships and couple-based interventions to prevent HIV transmission, successful recruitment of individuals involved in HIV-serodiscordant relationships is crucial. This paper evaluates methods used by the Positive Plus One (PP1) study to recruit and collect data on a diverse national sample of dyads and individuals involved in current or past HIV-serodiscordant relationships, discusses the strengths and limitations of the recruitment approach, and makes recommendations to inform the interpretation of study results and the design of future studies. METHODS: PP1 used a multi-pronged approach to recruit adults involved in a current or past HIV-serodiscordant relationship in Canada from 2016 to 2018 to complete a survey and an interview. Upon survey completion, index (first recruited) partners were invited to recruit their primary current HIV-serodiscordant partner. We investigated participant enrollment by recruitment source, participant-, relationship-, and dyad-level sociodemographic characteristics, missing data, and correlates of participation for individuals recruited by their partners. RESULTS: We recruited 613 participants (355 HIV-positive; 258 HIV-negative) across 10 Canadian provinces, including 153 complete dyads and 307 individuals who participated alone, and representing 460 HIV-serodiscordant relationships. Among those in current relationships, HIV-positive participants were more likely than HIV-negative participants to learn of the study through an ASO staff member (36% v. 20%, p < 0.001), ASO listserv/newsletter (12% v. 5%, p = 0.007), or physician/staff at a clinic (20% v. 11%, p = 0.006). HIV-negative participants involved in current relationships were more likely than HIV-positive participants to learn of the study through their partner (46% v. 8%, p < 0.001). Seventy-eight percent of index participants invited their primary HIV-serodiscordant partner to participate, and 40% were successful. Successful recruitment of primary partners was associated with longer relationship duration, higher relationship satisfaction, and a virally suppressed HIV-positive partner. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide important new information on and support the use of a multi-pronged approach to recruit HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals involved in HIV-serodiscordant relationships in Canada. More creative strategies are needed to help index partners recruit their partner in relationships with lower satisfaction and shorter duration and further minimize the risk of "happy couple" bias.

Sexuality in Older Couples: Individual and Dyadic Characteristics.

Sexuality is a key component of health and functioning that changes with age. Although most sexual activity takes place with a partner, the majority of research on sexuality has focused on individuals. In this paper, we focused on the sexual dyad. We proposed and tested a conceptual model of the predictors of partnered sexual activity in older adulthood. This model began with the personality of each of the partners, which affects individuals' views of sex and characteristics of the partnership, which in turn affected sexual expression in the couple. We measured a key feature of personality, Positivity, which reflected the individual's tendency to present his or herself positively in social situations. This trait, we posited, increased frequency of sex through increased desire for sex, and the subjective importance of sex to each member of the couple. In this model, Positivity also impacted characteristics of the relationship that promoted dyadic sexual behavior. These processes differed for men and women in the model. We tested this model with data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, which conducted personal interviews with both partners in 940 American dyads (average male age 72; average female age 69). We found that couples in which the husbands' (but not wives') were high in Positivity show higher levels of sexual activity, and that this association was partially mediated by dimensions of relationship quality, but more so by individual factors such as thinking about sex and believing sex is important.

Religious Influence on Older Americans' Sexual Lives: A Nationally-Representative Profile.

This study investigated the relationship between religious influence and sexual expression in older Americans, with specific attention to gender. Using the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally-representative survey of older adults, we created a composite measure of religious influence on sexual expression using Latent Class Analysis. We found more variability within denominations than between in terms of membership in the high-influence class; this indicated that religious influence on sexual expression was diverse within faiths. We show that religious influence was associated with higher self-reported satisfaction with frequency of sex, as well as higher physical and emotional satisfaction with sex, but only for men. Men were also significantly more likely than women to report that they would only have sex with a person they love. These results persisted in the presence of controls for demographic characteristics, religious affiliation, church attendance, intrinsic religiosity, political ideology, and functional health.

The onset of depression during the great recession: foreclosure and older adult mental health.

OBJECTIVES: We examined neighborhood-level foreclosure rates and their association with onset of depressive symptoms in older adults. METHODS: We linked data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (2005-2006 and 2010-2011 waves), a longitudinal, nationally representative survey, to data on zip code-level foreclosure rates, and predicted the onset of depressive symptoms using logit-linked regression. RESULTS: Multiple stages of the foreclosure process predicted the onset of depressive symptoms, with adjustment for demographic characteristics and changes in household assets, neighborhood poverty, and visible neighborhood disorder. A large increase in the number of notices of default (odds ratio [OR] = 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14, 2.67) and properties returning to ownership by the bank (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.06, 2.47) were associated with depressive symptoms. A large increase in properties going to auction was suggestive of such an association (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 0.96, 2.19). Age, fewer years of education, and functional limitations also were predictive. CONCLUSIONS: Increases in neighborhood-level foreclosure represent an important risk factor for depression in older adults. These results accord with previous studies suggesting that the effects of economic crises are typically first experienced through deficits in emotional well-being.

Structural bridging network position is associated with HIV status in a younger Black men who have sex with men epidemic.

Younger Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) ages 16-29 have the highest rates of HIV in the United States. Despite increased attention to social and sexual networks as a framework for biomedical intervention, the role of measured network positions, such as bridging and their relationship to HIV risk has received limited attention. A network sample (N = 620) of BMSM respondents (N = 154) and their MSM and transgendered person network members (N = 466) was generated through respondent driven sampling of BMSM and elicitation of their personal networks. Bridging status of each network member was determined by a constraint measure and was used to assess the relationship between this bridging and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), sex-drug use (SDU), group sex (GS) and HIV status within the network in South Chicago. Low, moderate and high bridging was observed in 411 (66.8 %), 81 (13.2 %) and 123 (20.0 %) of the network. In addition to age and having sex with men only, moderate and high levels of bridging were associated with HIV status (aOR 3.19; 95 % CI 1.58-6.45 and aOR 3.83; 95 % CI 1.23-11.95, respectively). Risk behaviors observed including UAS, GS, and SDU were not associated with HIV status, however, they clustered together in their associations with one another. Bridging network position but not risk behavior was associated with HIV status in this network sample of younger BMSM. Socio-structural features such as position within the network may be important when implementing effective HIV prevention interventions in younger BMSM populations.

The Threefold Path to Equity: Approaches for Health and Aging Researchers.

The authors present a model for pursuing equity in research on health and aging, in terms of: (a) community-driven research governance, with reference to examples inside and outside of the United States, (b) a focus on policy change, where policy is defined broadly in terms of all legislative and regulatory change, and (c) equity-focused research practices, at the level of measurement, analysis, and study design. The model is visualized as a "threefold path" that researchers may walk, to achieve changes within our field, and changes in how we interface with other fields, and communities.

Linking the 1940 US Census to the NSHAP: Novel Opportunity to Understand the Effects of Childhood Residential Environment on Cognitive Aging.

OBJECTIVE: The 1940 Census is a valuable resource for understanding various aspects of historical populations in the United States. Recently, the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) integrated 1940 Census data into its extensive dataset, providing researchers with an opportunity to explore new avenues of life course investigation. We leverage the newly-introduced measures of childhood residential environment and evaluate their potential predictive utility in older adult cognitive functioning net of childhood and adulthood characteristics known to be key risk factors for poor cognition. METHOD: We analyzed 777 respondents who were children in 1940 (age<17) that have been linked to the 1940 U.S. Census. We used childhood geographic location, homeownership status, household composition, and parental nativity as predictors. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that growing up in an urban area was associated with better cognitive function, while being born in the South was linked to poorer cognitive function, even after controlling for childhood health, parental education, educational attainment, stroke, and smoking status. Additionally, childhood multigenerational household was associated with better cognitive function, and childhood family size was associated with poorer cognitive function. However, these associations became statistically insignificant with the inclusion of educational attainment. We did not find homeownership and parental nativity to be associated with cognitive function. DISCUSSION: The findings may shed light on the potential long-term effects of childhood circumstances on cognitive aging processes. Implications for current literature and directions for future research are discussed.

The Interplay of Race, Ethnicity, and Language in Caregiver Health: Insights from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

Background: Recent socio-demographic shifts in the United States have underscored the growing importance of informal caregiving and raised concerns about caregivers' health and well-being. This study aims to deepen our understanding of the health dimensions of caregivers, considering their diverse backgrounds. Objective: To examine five key health dimensions (physical, cognitive, mental, social, and sexual health) of caregivers, and to identify potential disparities based on ethnoracial and linguistic differences. Methods: Using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), this study explores the interconnections among the specified health dimensions of caregivers and their ethnoracial (Black, Hispanic, White, and others) and linguistic (Spanish, English) backgrounds, in addition to their social networks (N=1,309). Regression analysis was employed to discern the patterns and associations. Results: The findings indicate that White caregivers generally report better physical, cognitive, and social health compared to their Black and Hispanic counterparts, but exhibit less favorable outcomes in sexual health than Hispanic caregivers. Spanish-speaking caregivers, while having lower cognitive and self-rated mental health than English-speaking caregivers, show stronger social health and greater relationship satisfaction. Notably, these correlations persist irrespective of the size of social networks, pointing to intrinsic links with health outcomes. Conclusion: The study underscores the necessity of a comprehensive health evaluation for caregivers, acknowledging the intricate interplay between their health and various socio-demographic factors. It advocates for the development of targeted policies and interventions that address the complex health needs of caregivers, with an emphasis on their ethnoracial and linguistic contexts and social environments.

Addressing Cognitive Assessment Disparities Among Hispanic Adults: Adapting the MoCA-SA for Improved Accuracy and Accessibility Among Spanish-speakers.

OBJECTIVES: Hispanic adults display a higher likelihood of early-stage cognitive decline than their White counterparts yet receive fewer clinical diagnoses. This troubling trend highlights the significance of longitudinal surveys like the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) in monitoring cognitive changes in aging Hispanics. Using NSHAP's Rounds 2 and 3, we observed notable cognitive score differences between English and Spanish speakers, as assessed by the survey-adapted version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-SA). Our study aims to discern if statistical adjustments can reduce measurement variance in global cognition scores between these language groups. METHODS: We applied modification indexes, two-parameter item response theory models, and split-sample testing to pinpoint items that exhibit resilience to language-related bias among our Hispanic sample. From this analysis, an abbreviated version of the MoCA-SA, termed MoCA-SAA, was introduced. Subsequently, we juxtaposed the performance and predictive validity of both MoCA versions against four consequential outcomes indicative of cognitive decline. RESULTS: Our refined methodologies enabled the identification of consistent items across both language cohorts. The MoCA-SAA demonstrated a performance and predictive validity in line with the original MoCA-SA concerning outcomes linked to cognitive deterioration. DISCUSSION: The translated measures ensure the inclusion of Hispanic Spanish speakers in NSHAP, who might otherwise be overlooked. The statistical adjustment outlined in this study offers a means to mitigate potential measurement disparities when assessing overall cognition. Despite these advancements, we acknowledge persistent issues related to the translation of the MoCA-SA into Spanish that warrant further attention.

Prediabetes Progression and Reversion: Social Factors and Racial/Ethnic Differences.

OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by diabetes. Social characteristics, such as family structure, social support, and loneliness, may contribute to these health disparities. In a nationally representative sample of diverse older adults, we evaluated longitudinal rates of both progression from prediabetes to diabetes and reversion from prediabetes to normoglycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014), our sample included 2625 follow-up intervals with a prediabetes baseline (provided by 2229 individuals). We analyzed 4-year progression and reversion rates using HbA1c and reported presence or absence of physician-diagnosed diabetes. We utilized chi-square and logistic regression models to determine how race/ethnicity and social variables influenced progression or reversion controlling for comorbidities and demographics. RESULTS: Overall, progression to diabetes was less common than reversion (17% vs. 36%). Compared to Whites, Hispanic/Latino respondents had higher odds of progression to diabetes from prediabetes while Black respondents had lower odds of reversion, adjusting for physical health and demographics. For social variables, Hispanics/Latinos had the highest reliance on and openness with family and the lowest rates of loneliness. The inclusion of social variables in regression models reduced the odds of progression for Hispanics/Latinos but did not alter Black's lower rate of reversion. CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic/Latinos and Blacks not only had different transition pathways leading to diabetes, but also had different social profiles, affecting Hispanic/Latino progression, but not Black reversion. These differences in the influence of social variables on diabetes risk may inform the design of culturally-specific efforts to reduce disparities in diabetes burden.

Race/ethnicity and the measurement of cognition in NSHAP: Recommendations for robustness.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examine the measurement of cognition in different racial/ethnic groups to move towards a less biased and more inclusive set of measures for capturing cognitive change and decline in older adulthood. METHODS: We use data from Round 2 (N=3377) and Round 3 (N=4777) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) and examine the study's Survey Adjusted version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-SA). We employ exploratory factor analyses to explore configural invariance by racial/ethnic group. Using modification indexes, two-parameter item response theory models, and split-sample testing, we identify items that seem robust to bias by race. We test the predictive validity of the full (18-item) and short (4-item) MoCA-SAs using self-reported dementia diagnosis, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), proxy reports of dementia, proxy reports of dementia-related death, and National Death Index reports of dementia-related death. RESULTS: We found that four measures out of the 18 used in NSHAP's MoCA-SA formed a scale that was more robust to racial bias. The shortened form predicted consequential outcomes as well as NSHAP's full MoCA-SA. The short form was also moderately correlated with the full form. DISCUSSION: Although sophisticated structural equation modeling techniques would be preferrable for assuaging measurement invariance by race in NSHAP, the shortened form of the MoCA-SA provides a quick way for researchers to carry out robustness checks and to see if the disparities and associations by race they document are "real" or the product of artifactual bias.

Classification of older adults who have diabetes by comorbid conditions, United States, 2005-2006.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults who have diabetes vary widely in terms of comorbid conditions; these conditions help determine the risks and benefits of intensive glycemic control. Not all people benefit from intensive glycemic control. The objective of this study was to classify by comorbid conditions older American adults who have diabetes to identify those who are less likely to benefit from intensive glycemic control. METHODS: We used latent class analysis to identify subgroups of a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (aged 57-85 y) who have diabetes (n = 750). The subgroups were classified according to 14 comorbid conditions prevalent in the older population. Using the Akaike Information Criterion, the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), the sample-size adjusted BIC, and the χ(2) goodness-of-fit statistic, we assessed model fit. RESULTS: We found 3 distinct subgroups. Class 1 (63% of the sample) had the lowest probabilities for most conditions. Class 2 (29% of the sample) had the highest probabilities of cancer, incontinence, and kidney disease. Class 3 (9% of the sample) had the highest probabilities (>90%) of congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction. Class 1 had only 0, 1, or 2 comorbid conditions, and both class 2 and class 3 had 6 or more comorbid conditions. The 5-year death rates for class 2 (17%) and class 3 (33%) were higher than the rate for class 1 (9%). CONCLUSION: Older adults who have diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and 6 or more comorbid conditions may represent a subgroup of older adults who are less likely to benefit from intensive glycemic control.

Takes Two to Tango: Cognitive Impairment and Sexual Activity in Older Individuals and Dyads.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines the association between cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia (ED), and sexual activity in a large, longitudinal sample of community-dwelling older adults. We focus here on sexual activity, which includes both sexual activity with a partner and masturbation. METHODS: We analyzed 3,777 older individuals and members of 955 intimate dyads using the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (2010 and 2015). We used ordered probit regression, cross-lagged panels models, and probit regression. RESULTS: We find that older adults with cognitive limitations, either MCI or ED, are about as likely to be sexually active with a partner as those with normal cognitive function. This is the case both in the cross-section and longitudinally. Both men and women with ED are less likely to have masturbated, however. Among married and cohabiting couples, we find no association between cognitive impairment in either the husband, the wife, or in both partners and their joint sexual activity. Women whose measured cognitive function is lower than their husbands are less likely to report any masturbation. DISCUSSION: Sex with a partner, a fundamentally social activity, seems to be conserved in the face of cognitive limitation but masturbation, a solitary activity, does not. We argue that the intimate dyad plays an important role in conserving partnered sexual activity. Results can inform strategies to maintain the sexual well-being of older adults with cognitive impairment and their partners as part of overall strategies to improve quality of life.

Social capital and HIV-serodiscordance: Disparities in access to personal and professional resources for HIV-positive and HIV-negative partners.

As people living with HIV are living longer lives, they have a correspondingly greater opportunity to enjoy long-term romantic and sexual partnerships, including with persons who do not live with HIV ("serodiscordant" relationships). In these dyads, asymmetries may emerge in access to social resources between partners. In this paper we examined how serodiscordant couples access informal (interpersonal, such as family and friends) and formal (practitioner, such as doctor or social worker) social resources for health. We recruited 540 participants in current serodiscordant relationships, working with 150 AIDS service organizations and HIV clinics across Canada from 2016 to 2018. Our findings demonstrate that partners with HIV have greater access to formal resources than their partners (through health care professionals, therapists/counselors/support workers), while both persons have similar access to resources through informal social relationships (family and friends). Furthermore, the findings indicated that HIV positive partners accessed more varied forms of support through formal ties, compared to HIV negative persons. We offer recommendations for changes to how HIV-negative partners in a serodiscordant relationship are served and cared for, and particularly, the importance of moving toward dyad-focused policies and practices.

The Death of Confidants and Changes in Older Adults' Social Lives.

This study examines the consequences of confidant death for the social lives of older adults, testing hypotheses from socio-emotional selectivity theory and the hierarchical compensatory model. We draw upon longitudinal data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project-a nationally representative survey of older adults (N = 2,261). We employ ordinary least squares (OLS) and ordinal logistic regressions in the context of multiple imputation with chained equations, checking our findings with doubly robust estimation. We find that the death of a spouse, but not the death of a family member or friend, was associated with increased support from friends and family, spending more time with family, and more frequent participation in religious services, but not volunteering. Death of other confidants also had little impact on older adults' social lives, suggesting the robustness of their networks to nonspousal loss.

Social Networks, Role-Relationships, and Personality in Older Adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: This article examines the implications of personality traits for social network connectedness in older adulthood, across different social relationships. METHODS: This article uses data from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally-representative, longitudinal survey of community-dwelling older Americans (N = 2,261). Network characteristics were predicted using Poisson and negative binomial regression (for network size) as well as multilevel identity-linked and ordinal-logit-linked regressions (for tie strength). RESULTS: Extraversion and agreeableness were associated with tie strength, and extraversion was weakly associated with friend network size. Few trait-by-role-relationship interactions emerged, although more-neurotic persons were more likely to talk about their health with friends. DISCUSSION: Personality traits impact the strength of social network ties in older adulthood. However, traits may have minimal impact on network size. The consequences of personality also appear to be largely consistent across different social relationships.

Putting Sex Into Context in Later Life: Environmental Disorder and Sexual Interest Among Partnered Seniors.

Background and Objectives: This study examines whether neighborhood and household disorder is associated with sexual interest among partnered seniors. Research Design and Methods: Analyses use dyadic data from Wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (2010-2011). Measures of environmental disorder were conducted by trained interviewers. Survey data were also linked to census tract information from the 2009 American Community Survey. We used actor-partner interdependence models to estimate the likelihood of reporting low sexual interest. Results: There was no observed association between neighborhood context (physical disorder or census tract socioeconomic disadvantage) and sexual interest, but husbands were more likely to report low sexual interest if they lived in more disorderly households. High marital quality protected against low sexual interest, but these evaluations did not mediate or moderate the putative effect of household disorder. Discussion and Implications: Regardless of the broader neighborhood context, helping older adults maintain an orderly home space may help sustain sexual functioning. Future research should consider how various features of the environment matter for additional aspects of late-life sexuality.

Compensatory Conscientiousness Redux: A Direct Replication of Roberts, Smith, Jackson, and Edmonds (2009).

The present study attempted to closely replicate Roberts, Smith, Jackson, and Edmonds (2009) who found, in part, a compensatory effect such that individuals with spouses higher in conscientiousness reported higher self-rated health and fewer physical limitations in the Health and Retirement Study. Using similarly structured data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 953), the current study found results largely consistent with the original study such that partner conscientiousness predicted both self-rated health and physical limitations, and husbands' conscientiousness and neuroticism interacted when predicting wives' self-rated health. A discussion of the usefulness of statistical significance versus effect size in replication follows.