Examining foodwork and eating behaviors among heterosexual and gay male couples.

OBJECTIVES: Spouses play an important role in their partners' eating behaviors, including both promoting and impeding healthy eating. The division of foodwork in the relationship (i.e., if there is individual or shared responsibility for food roles) may vary as a function of gender or sexual orientation and may be important in understanding eating behaviors. METHOD: Using cross-sectional, dyadic data from 462 heterosexual and gay married couples (N = 921 individuals) residing in the United States, we accordingly sought to examine which partner was most responsible for two food roles, food shopping and meal preparation (Aim 1); whether these roles differed by gender (Aim 1a) and sexual orientation (Aim 1b); whether these food roles were related to the frequency of eating healthy and unhealthy foods (Aim 2); and whether these associations differed by gender (Aim 2a) and sexual orientation (Aim 2b). RESULTS: We found that one individual was responsible for these roles in a majority of couples, although meal preparation was more likely to be shared in gay than in heterosexual couples. We also found that, in general, the person responsible for these food roles ate healthy more frequently compared to when their partner was responsible; findings for shared responsibility were more equivocal. These associations did not differ, however as a function of gender or sexual orientation. CONCLUSION: Our findings contribute to a further understanding of food dynamics among heterosexual and gay male couples and have important implications for health promotion and intervention efforts.

Associations between partner's diet undermining and poor diet in mixed-weight, older gay married couples: a dyadic mediation model.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have examined how individuals may undermine their partner's efforts to maintain a healthy diet, but gay couples have not been represented in this work. Additionally, research has not accounted for mixed-weight status [lighter partner (LP) and heavier partner] nor investigated the mechanisms through which undermining is associated with dietary outcomes. OBJECTIVE/DESIGN/MEASURES: Utilising dyadic data from 224 gay married couples across the United States, we tested associations between perceptions of partner's diet undermining strategies and diet quality with couple food disagreements and depressive symptoms as putative, serial mediators in an actor-partner interdependence mediation model. RESULTS: Results revealed that more severe diet undermining was associated with both partners' poorer diet quality, which was explained by more frequent couple food disagreements and higher depressive symptoms for both heavier and LPs. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that undermining strategies are detrimental to both partners' relational health (increased conflict), emotional health (depressive symptoms) and physical health (diet)-regardless of weight status-and provide valuable targets for prevention and intervention. Our study underscores the interdependence of couple relations in lifestyle changes and specifically highlight the need for health professionals to discuss the partner's indirect or unintended disruptions to the patient's plan.

What Makes Super-Aged Nations Happier? Exploring Critical Factors of Happiness Among Middle-Aged Men and Women in Japan.

This study aimed to examine multiple factors associated with happiness from the perspective of gender difference among a middle-aged Japanese population. A total of 865 participants (male = 344, female = 521) aged 40-64 years were divided into two groups (high and low) by their self-reported level of happiness. Logistic regression analysis by gender was carried out. In men, high levels of happiness were significantly correlated with living with spouse, occupation, enough sleep, leading a normal life, and regular checkups; while low levels of happiness were significantly correlated with smoking and having two or more diseases. In women, low levels of happiness were significantly correlated with caring for a family member. Our data suggested that the factors relevant to happiness levels might vary between men and women among middle-aged people in Japan. To increase the nation's level of happiness, the Japanese government must implement extended social services and policymaking, to alleviate caregivers' burdens, especially among Japanese women.

Development and validation of the intuitive exercise scale.

Up to 80% of individuals with eating disorders engage in dysfunctional exercise, which is characterized by exercising in excessive quantities often past the point of pain as well as compulsive feelings and negative affect when exercise is disrupted (Cook, Hausenblas, Crosby, Cao, & Wonderlich, 2015). Intuitive exercise involves an awareness of the senses while moving and attending to one's bodily cues for when to start and stop exercise, rather than feeling compelled to adhere to a rigid program (Reel, 2015). The purpose of this study was to design a measurement tool to evaluate the construct of intuitive exercise in research, treatment, and prevention settings. The 14-item Intuitive Exercise Scale (IEXS) was developed and validated in the current study with completed surveys from 518 female and male adult participants. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify four latent constructs, including emotional exercise, exercise rigidity, body trust, and mindful exercise, which were supported via confirmatory factor analysis (CFI=0.96; SRMR=0.06). The IEXS demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across women and men. Correlations with measures of intuitive eating, exercise dependence, and exercise motivation supported convergent and discriminant validity.