The influence of osteoporosis on the marital relationship of older couples

Thirty-four older wives and their husbands participated in interviews about adaptation to the wives' osteoporosis and its influence on their relationship. For most couples, the wives' osteoporosis resulted in changes in the structure of their marital relationship but not the overall quality of the marriage. Discrepancies in pain perceptions were associated with lower marital adjustment for wives but not for husbands. The findings suggest the need to focus on the dynamics of the marital relationship to understand chronic illness in late-life families.