Mealtime Behavior and Depressive Symptoms in Late-Life Marriage

This study examined whether one spouse's mealtime behaviors were associated with their own and their partner's depressive symptoms among older, married couples. We examined gender differences in these associations and tested marital satisfaction as a mediator of these associations. 101 couples self-reported mealtime behavior (number of meals, snacks, fast-food meals, and meals eaten alone), depressive symptoms, and marital satisfaction. Results of the actor partner interdependence model revealed a statistically significant actor effect of the number of fast-food meals on depressive symptoms and a significant partner effect of the number of fast-food meals and the number of meals eaten alone on depressive symptoms. There were also gender differences: Husbands' marital satisfaction mediated the effect of meals eaten alone on depressive symptoms; wife's marital satisfaction mediated the effect of the husband's meals eaten alone, and wife's number of fast-food meals on the wife's depressive symptoms. Findings have implications for dyadic interventions to improve depressive symptoms.