Family Studies Center

Sponsered Research

Related Links

• USA Today article on marriage and blood pressure
• BYU Article on Ross Flom's "Babies and Beethoven" Research
• USA Today Article on Julianne Holt-Lunstad's Marriage and Health Research
• Release of new book by Rebecca de Schweinitz
• See Reuters Article on the Research of J. Holt-Lunstad

Understanding the Association between Marriage and Health: An Examination of Oxytocin as a Mediator of the Cardiovascular Benefits of Emotional Support

The proposed study will examine the influence of emotional support among couples on cardiovascular functioning and oxytocin levels. Specifically we will be implementing an intervention in which half of our sample will receive emotional support training (couple contact enhancement) that will emphasize a warm touch/affection component and examining the impact on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and the role of oxytocin as a mediator. It is hoped that this research may help clarify the health-related benefits of marriage.