THE WEIGHT OF KINSHIP: FAMILY AMBIVALENCE AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC INTERSECTIONS AS PREDICTORS OF ARTHRITIS IN LATER LIFE

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to investigate how family ambivalence relates to the presence of arthritis among middle-aged and older adults, while examining whether this relationship is moderated by sociodemographic disadvantage (i.e., lower socioeconomic status (SES), being female, or being non-White). Based on data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) Round 3 (2015–2016), logistic regression analyses tested whether: (1) greater family ambivalence would be linked to an increased likelihood of reporting arthritis, after accounting for demographics and factors related to health; and (2) this association would be stronger among individuals experiencing greater sociodemographic disadvantage. Family ambivalence was a significant predictor of arthritis, even after adjusting for covariates. Moderation analyses showed that the relationship between family ambivalence and arthritis was significant for Whites but not for Hispanics. Additionally, SES moderated this relationship: family ambivalence was significantly associated with arthritis at low and mean levels of SES, but not at high SES. No significant interactions emerged for gender or Black ethnicity. These findings indicate that family ambivalence may serve as a psychosocial risk factor for arthritis, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged and White older adults, highlighting the complex link between social relationships and health.