Social control in marital relationships: Effect of one's partner on health behaviors

The present study examined the role that health-related social control plays in promoting health-enhancing behavioral reactions among married couples. Health-related social control refers to interactions entailing influence and regulation of health practices. A sample of 109 couples answered questions about their social control interactions during structured phone interviews. Analyses maintaining the couple as the unit of analysis indicated that spouses' reports of more frequent social control overall and the use of positive, bilateral, and direct social control tactics predicted their partners' reports of health-enhancing behavioral reactions.