Subjective wellbeing and longevity: Findings from a 22-year cohort study

Gana, Kamel; Broc, Guillaume; Saada, Yaël; Amieva, Hélène; Quintard, Bruno

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.04.004

Cited by 30 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Their sample was extremely high on the positive measures, and thus it may be that their findings indicate the potential negative effects of highly aroused or intense positive affect. Gana et al (2016) Positive affect was significantly associated with longevity, but negative affect was not an independent significant predictor. Gomez et al (2004) Highly aroused positive emotions may raise heart rate.…”

Section: Examples Of Findings Showing That Healthy Behaviors Are Assomentioning

confidence: 87%

If, Why, and When Subjective Well-Being Influences Health, and Future Needed Research

Diener¹

2017

Preprint

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We review evidence on whether subjective well-being (SWB) can influence health, why it might do so, and what we know about the conditions where this is more or less likely to occur. This review also explores how various methodological approaches inform the study of the connections between subjective well-being and health and longevity outcomes. Our review of this growing literature indicates areas where data are substantial and where much more research is needed. We conclude that SWB can sometimes influence health, and review a number of reasons why it does so. A key open question is when it does and does not do so -in terms of populations likely to be affected, types of SWB that are most influential (including which might be harmful), and types of health and illnesses that are most likely to be affected. We also describe additional types of research that are now much needed in this burgeoning area of interest, for example, cross-cultural studies, animal research, and experimental interventions designed to raise long-term SWB and assess the effects on physical health. This research area is characterized both by potentially extremely important findings, and also by pivotal research issues and questions.

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Section: Examples Of Findings Showing That Healthy Behaviors Are Assomentioning

confidence: 87%

If, Why, and When Subjective Well-Being Influences Health, and Future Needed Research

Diener¹

2017

Preprint

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“…This is important as perceived health and well-being have been associated with long-term mortality in other adult cohorts (28-30). Overall, we observed increases in the percentages of childhood cancer survivors treated from 1990-99 who reported poor general health and anxiety, and found that accounting for specific treatment exposures, in most instances, did not explain effects of treatment decade on adverse health status outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Temporal Changes in Therapeutic Exposure on Self-reported Health Status in Childhood Cancer Survivors

et al. 2016

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Background The impact of temporal changes in cancer therapy on health status among childhood cancer survivors has not been evaluated. Objective Compare proportions of self-report of adverse health status outcomes across three decades among childhood cancer survivors. Design Cross-sectional Setting 27 North American institutions Participants 14,566 adults, ≥5 year survivors (median age 27, range 18-48 years) treated 1970-1999 Measurements Patient-report of poor general or mental health, functional impairment, activity limitation, cancer-related anxiety or pain were evaluated as a function of treatment decade, cancer treatment exposures, chronic health conditions, demographics, and health habits. Results Despite reductions in late-mortality and proportions with severe, disabling or life threatening chronic health conditions (33.4% among survivors treated 1970-79, 21.0% among those treated 1990-99), proportions reporting adverse health status did not decrease by treatment decade. When compared to those diagnosed 1970-79, survivors diagnosed 1990-99 were more likely to report poor general health (11.2% vs. 13.7%, p < 0.001) and cancer-related anxiety (13.3% vs. 15.0%, p < 0.001). From 1970-79 to 1990-99, the proportions reporting adverse outcomes were higher (p < 0.001) among leukemia (9.5% vs. 13.9%, poor general health) and osteosarcoma (23.9% vs. 36.6%, pain) survivors. Temporal changes in treatment exposures were not associated with changes in proportions reporting adverse health status. However, smoking, not meeting physical activity guidelines, and being either underweight or obese were associated with poor health status. Limitations The considerable improvement in survival among children diagnosed with cancer in the 1990s compared to those diagnosed in the 1970s makes it difficult to definitively determine the impact of risk factors on later self-reported health status without considering their impact on mortality itself. Conclusions Because survival rates following a diagnosis of childhood cancer have improved substantially over the past thirty years, this population now includes persons who would have died in earlier eras. Unfortunately, self-reported health status among those that do survive has not improved. This is despite evolution of treatment designed to reduce toxicities, and is an important reminder that even in the modern era, cancer cure is not without consequences.”

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“…In our context, selective participation and attrition may be especially important due to generally lower participation rates of frail or institutionalized individuals in population-based aging surveys. Moreover, as happier individuals tend to live longer (Gana et al 2016;Steptoe and Wardle 2012), our samples of older individuals may be "enriched" with people who had higher levels of subjective wellbeing throughout their entire life such as intrinsically more optimistic people. Finally, there may also be age-related reporting heterogeneity in subjective well-being measures.…”

Section: Strength and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy, Wealthy, Wise, and Happy? Assessing Age Differences in Evaluative and Emotional Well-Being Among Mature Adults from Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries

et al. 2020

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This study assesses the relationship between age and two dimensions of subjective well-being—evaluative and emotional—among mature adults from five low-and middle-income countries. We use data from the World Health Organization’s Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health to contrast the associations of age with subjective well-being when controlling only for gender with the corresponding partial associations when including a richer set of covariates. Adjusting only for gender, we find negative associations of age with evaluative well-being, while the corresponding age gradients for emotional well-being are relatively flat. By contrast, adjusting for further socio-demographic factors results in positive associations of age with both evaluative and emotional well-being. Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions allow us to explore the roles of two factors to account for any unadjusted age differences in subjective well-being: age-group differences in individual characteristics and life circumstances, and age-specific associations of individual characteristics and life circumstances with subjective well-being. While adverse circumstances such as poor health and low income contribute to lower levels of evaluative well-being among older adults, age per se is—ceteris paribus—positively associated with subjective well-being. Even in poorer countries, older age does not need to be a time of low subjective well-being. Policies aimed at preserving income and limiting or compensating old-age disability appear to be key for maintaining subjective well-being among older adults.

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Subjective wellbeing and longevity: Findings from a 22-year cohort study

Cited by 30 publications

References 59 publications

If, Why, and When Subjective Well-Being Influences Health, and Future Needed Research

If, Why, and When Subjective Well-Being Influences Health, and Future Needed Research

Effect of Temporal Changes in Therapeutic Exposure on Self-reported Health Status in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Healthy, Wealthy, Wise, and Happy? Assessing Age Differences in Evaluative and Emotional Well-Being Among Mature Adults from Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries

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