Spousal Protective Buffering and Type 2 Diabetes Outcomes

Objective: Guided by the developmental-contextual model of couples coping with chronic illness (Berg & Upchurch, 2007), the purpose of this study is to explore moderated associations between spousal protective buffering and illness outcomes for partners diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (dietary adherence, frequency of exercise, and HbA1c level). Patient diabetes appraisals (distress, control, self-efficacy, and consequences) were explored as potential moderators. Methods: Participants were 117 married couples in which one member had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Data were gathered from spouses and patients through a survey instrument and analyzed with path analysis. Results: Protective buffering was associated with fewer days of exercise when patients reported low diabetes distress and diabetes consequences. Additionally, protective buffering was associated with higher HbA1c when patients reported high diabetes control. Conclusions: Protective buffering did not exhibit a uniform association with the type 2 diabetes outcomes. Rather, the association between spousal protective buffering and patient illness adjustment was dependent on patient appraisal of the illness. These findings contribute a nuanced addition to the literature documenting the role of couple coping in chronic illness management and also provide impetus for further, longitudinal investigation of the ways healthy spouses cope with partner illness.