Melissa M Franks

Publications (2)2.59 Total impact

• Article: Table for two: diabetes distress and diet-related interactions of married patients with diabetes and their spouses.

  Melissa M Franks, Z Seda Sahin, Amber J Seidel, Cleveland G Shields, Shannon K Oates, Carol J Boushey
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  ABSTRACT: In adjusting to chronic illness, patients often negotiate new or altered daily routines within a dynamic family context. Yet, the responses of family members to the disease and its management are understudied. The authors investigated patients with Type 2 diabetes and their spouses (N = 55 couples) and examined the association of diet-related interactions (i.e., diet-related support, diet-related pressure, and frequency of sharing meals together) with each partner's adjustment to the illness context (i.e., diabetes distress). All spouses (100%) reported providing some type of diet-related support to their partners with diabetes in the past month, and many reported exerting pressure to improve their partners' diet choices (60%). In addition, many couples (64%) indicated that they frequently shared meals together in the past month. For spouses, their provision of diet-related pressure was associated (positively) with their diabetes distress. Frequently sharing meals was associated with less diabetes distress among patients, even after controlling for their glycemic control and diet adherence. Findings reveal that spouses of patients with diabetes are actively involved in illness management with their partners, and these activities are associated with their own diabetes distress and with that of their ill partners.
  Families Systems & Health 06/2012; 30(2):154-65. · 1.05 Impact Factor
• Article: I will if you will: similarity in married partners' readiness to change health risk behaviors.

  Melissa M Franks, Cleveland G Shields, Eunjung Lim, Laura P Sands, Stacey Mobley, Carol J Boushey
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  ABSTRACT: Married men and women (N = 1,899 couples) reported readiness to eat a healthier diet, lose weight, and get more exercise (stage of change) and indicated whether they were confident to make these changes (self-efficacy). Husbands' and wives' reports of readiness to change each health behavior were positively associated. Furthermore, women who indicated readiness to eat a healthier diet and get more exercise (contemplation or preparation stages) were less likely to endorse confidence to change when their husbands were in a lower stage than they were relative to those whose husbands shared the same stage of change. Similarly, men who indicated readiness to lose weight were less likely to endorse being confident in their ability to lose weight when their wives were in a lower stage than they were relative to those who shared the same stage. Consideration of interpersonal factors in the behavior change process may enhance behavioral interventions that include married partners together rather than either individual alone.
  Health Education &amp Behavior 04/2011; 39(3):324-31. · 1.54 Impact Factor