Aging Side by Side: Couples' Views of Aging and Health Over Time.

This study tested bidirectional, within-person associations between couples' self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and self-rated, cognitive, and mental health over time. Using a pooled sample of different-gender couples (N = 2,778 dyads) aged 50+ in the Health and Retirement Study across three waves (2008/2010, 2012/2014, 2016/2018), we employed dyadic random intercept cross-lagged panel models to separate within-person fluctuations from stable between-person differences while modeling cross-spousal associations. Findings revealed significant bidirectional within-person associations between individuals' positive and negative SPA and their own self-rated health, as well as between individuals' positive SPA and depressive symptoms. Better cognitive performance than usual was associated with individuals' more positive SPA than usual at the following wave. Additionally, individuals' above-average positive SPA was associated with their partners' better-than-average self-rated and mental health over time. Findings advance our understanding of the reciprocal influences between couples' SPA and health, informing dyadic interventions to improve older adults' SPA and health.