News Finding: Interestingly, lower negative quality ties reported by wives exacerbated the effect of wife stress on husbands' waist circumference, says Kira Birditt, a research associate professor at ISR's Survey Research Center.
Paper Finding: Likewise, husbands' greater chronic stress exposure was associated with increased waist circumference among wives when husbands reported higher negative marital quality.
News Context: Related Coverage How You Argue May Predict Future Health Trouble
  
  Greater negative quality ties as reported by husbands exacerbated the effects of partner stress on both husbands' and wives' waist circumference. Interestingly, lower negative quality ties reported by wives exacerbated the effect of wife stress on husbands' waist circumference, says Kira Birditt, a research associate professor at ISR's Survey Research Center. For the increased risk of obesity, 59 percent of the husbands and 64 percent of the wives were at higher risk of disease in the study's first assessment, and 66 percent of husbands and 70 percent of wives were at increased risk at the study's conclusion.
Paper Context: Wives' greater chronic stress exposure was associated with increased waist circumference among husbands when husbands reported higher negative marital quality. Likewise, husbands' greater chronic stress exposure was associated with increased waist circumference among wives when husbands reported higher negative marital quality. In contrast, wives' greater chronic stress exposure was associated with increased waist circumference among husbands when wives' reported lower negative marital quality.