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Subjective well-being predicts health behavior in a population-based 9-years follow-up of working-aged Finns.

ABSTRACT: The cross-sectional association between measures of subjective well-being (SWB) and various health behaviors is well-established. In this 9-year (2003-2012) follow-up study, we explored how a composite indicator of SWB (range 4-20) with four items (interest, happiness, and ease in life, as well as perceived loneliness) predicts a composite health behavior measure (range 0-4) including dietary habits, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking status. Study subjects (n = 10,855) originated from a population-based random sample of working-age Finns in the Health and Social Support study (HeSSup). According to linear regression analysis, better SWB predicted better health behavior sum score with a β = 0.019 (p < 0.001) with a maximum effect of 0.3 points after adjusting for age (p = 0.038), gender (p < 0.001), education (p = 0.55), baseline self-reported diseases (p = 0.020), baseline health behavior (β = 0.49, p < 0.001), and the interaction between SWB and education (p < 0.001). The results suggest that SWB has long-term positive effect on health behavior. Thus, interventions aiming at health behavioral changes could benefit from taking into account SWB and its improvement in the intervention.

SUBMITTER: Stenlund S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8684019 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Subjective well-being predicts health behavior in a population-based 9-years follow-up of working-aged Finns.

Stenlund Säde S Koivumaa-Honkanen Heli H Sillanmäki Lauri L Lagström Hanna H Rautava Päivi P Suominen Sakari S

Preventive medicine reports 20211114

The cross-sectional association between measures of subjective well-being (SWB) and various health behaviors is well-established. In this 9-year (2003-2012) follow-up study, we explored how a composite indicator of SWB (range 4-20) with four items (interest, happiness, and ease in life, as well as perceived loneliness) predicts a composite health behavior measure (range 0-4) including dietary habits, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking status. Study subjects (n = 10,855) originat ...[more]

PMID: 34976687

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Project description:BackgroundPrevious research on health behavior and subjective well-being has mainly focused on interindividual differences or explored certain domains of health behavior. Good health behavior and subjective well-being at baseline can predict each other after a follow-up. In the present cohort study, we explored the outcomes of change for an individual i.e., how changed health behavior is reflected in subsequent subjective well-being and vice versa.MethodsData (n = 10,855) originates from a population-based Health and Social Support (HeSSup) study on working-age Finns in 2003 and 2012. A composite measure of health behavior included physical activity, dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking status (range 0-4, worst-best) and a composite measure of subjective well-being (with reversed scoring) included three life assessments, i.e., interest, happiness, and ease in life, and perceived loneliness (range 4-20, best-worst). Different multiple linear regression models were used to study how changes in health behavior predict subjective well-being and the opposite, how changes in subjective well-being predict health behavior.ResultsA positive change in health behavior from 2003 to 2012 predicted better subjective well-being (i.e., on average 0.31 points lower subjective well-being sum score), whereas a negative change predicted poorer subjective well-being (i.e., 0.37 points higher subjective well-being sum score) (both: p < 0.001) compared to those study subjects who had no change in health behavior. Similarly, when a positive and negative change in subjective well-being was studied, these figures were 0.071 points better and 0.072 points worse (both: p < 0.001) health behavior sum score, respectively. When the magnitude of the effect of change was compared to the range of scale of the outcome the effect of health behavior change appeared stronger than that of subjective well-being.ConclusionChanges in health behavior and subjective well-being have long-term effects on the level of the other, the effect of the first being slightly stronger than vice versa. These mutual long-term benefits can be used as a motivator in health promotion on individual and societal levels.

Project description:BackgroundThe situation concerning adolescent mental health is a global public health concern, and the concept includes the ability to cope with problems of everyday life. A person's approach and attitude towards themselves, i.e., their self-esteem, affects mental health. The study aimed to appraise and deepen the scientific understanding of adolescents' self-reported self-esteem at age 12-13 from a resource perspective and test its ability to predict subsequent perceived mental well-being at age 17.MethodsData from the Longitudinal Research on Development in Adolescence (LoRDIA) prospective follow-up study of adolescents aged 12-13, and 17 (n = 654) were analysed using ANCOVA. The outcome variable, perceived mental well-being (MWB), covers the aspects of mental well-being inspired by the "Mental Health Continuum," representing positive mental health. Covariates were self-esteem (SE) and reported initially perceived MWB at age 12-13. Other independent explanatory variables were gender, the family's economy, and the mother's educational level.ResultsSelf-esteem appeared relatively stable from 12-13 to 17 years (M = 20.7 SD = 5.8 vs. M = 20.5 SD = 1.7). There was a significant but inverted U - shaped association between SE at age 12-13 and perceived MWB at age 17 [F (1, 646) = 19.02, β-0.057; CI -0.08--0.03, Eta = 0.03, p = .000]. Intermediate but not strong SE predicted significantly good MWB. When conducting the ANCOVA for boys and girls separately, only the mother's educational level was significantly positively associated with perceived MWB of girls.ConclusionsGood self-esteem in early adolescence increases the likelihood of an unchanged favourable development of self-esteem and the probability of good perceived mental well-being. SE explained 18 per cent of the variation of MWB, and even more among girls. However, normal SE rather than high SE at 12 and 13 years is predictive of later mental well-being. Girls reported low self-esteem more often. Therefore, supporting self-esteem early in life can promote mental well-being in adolescence.

Dataset Information

Subjective well-being predicts health behavior in a population-based 9-years follow-up of working-aged Finns.

Publications

Subjective well-being predicts health behavior in a population-based 9-years follow-up of working-aged Finns.

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