Optimism, dietary habits, body mass index and smoking among young Finnish adults (original) (raw)
Related papers
The aim of the study was to develop and standardize a new questionnaire to examine the relationship between optimism, dietary habits, lifestyle and general health selfassessment. A pilot study was conducted in a sample of 114 individuals of general population in Sparti/Greece. The questionnaire combines a general health self-assessment questionnaire (GHSAQ), the GrLOT-R, the weekly dietary habits, a personal/family medical history and a lifestyle questionnaire. The mean score of respectively. Higher score on GHSAQ was associated with the frequency of consumption of kiwi (p=0.027), orange (p=0.022), green tea (p=0.044) and raw olive oil (p=0.044). Higher score in GrLOT-R was associated with the frequency of consumption of fruits (p=0.028), pepper (p=0.037), red cabbage (p=0.011) and carrot (p=0.023). GHSAQ and GrLOT-R have acceptable internal validity (Cronbach's α=0.719 and 0.723 respectively) and a very high Test-Retest reliability (Pearson's r=0.928 and ICC=0.962 for GHSAQ and Pearson's r=0.950 and ICC=0.983 for GrLOT-R). The new questionnaire is reliable and valid. High vitamins, antioxidants intake and water consumption seem to influence positively optimism and general health self-assessment.
Nutrition Journal, 2020
Background Dispositional optimism is a psychological trait that has been associated with positive health outcomes such as reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, there is little knowledge on the relationship between optimism and dietary intake in the population. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether optimism was associated with overall diet quality, food group consumption and snacking. Methods In 2016, 32,806 adult participants from the NutriNet-Santé study completed the Life-Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) which assesses dispositional optimism. Overall diet quality (assessed by the mPNNS-Guideline Score) and consumption of 22 food groups were evaluated using at least three self-reported 24-h dietary records. Snacking behavior was evaluated by an ad-hoc question. Logistic and linear regressions were used to analyze the associations between optimism and these dietary behaviors, taking into account socio-demographic, lifestyle and depressive symp...
Optimism and Health-related Behaviour in Czech University Students and Adults
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015
The exploratory study, conducted as a part of a research project supported by the Czech Science Foundation (No. 13-19808S), attempted to shed more light on the interrelations between dispositional optimism/pessimism, explanatory style optimism/pessimism, defensive pessimism/strategic optimism, and health-related behaviour. The main objective was to test whether findings obtained on American population and several European samples concerning positive relationships between optimism and health-related activity, and between pessimism and passivity, can be replicated on a Czech sample. The analysis of data from 268 respondents aged between 16 and 96 did not confirm any significant associations between different types of optimism/pessimism and health behaviours except for one: Promotion of mental well-being was predicted by defensive pessimism and by optimistic explanatory style, especially the stability dimension. The study also addresses the complex interrelations between different optimism/pessimism constructs, health-related behaviour, and subjective health problems.
Prospective associations of happiness and optimism with lifestyle over up to two decades
Preventive Medicine, 2019
Greater levels of psychological well-being are associated with reduced disease and mortality risk, and lifestyle habits may be potential mechanisms underlying these relationships. Prospective studies show that positive psychological factors enhance the likelihood of adopting specific health behaviors; yet, whether they promote the adoption of multiple healthy behaviors, which can have a multiplicative effect on disease and mortality risk compared to individual behaviors, is unknown. We investigated whether happiness and optimism were related to a healthy lifestyle (characterized by multiple health behaviors) over 10–22 years of follow-up; we also explored bidirectional associations, assessing if a healthy lifestyle at baseline was related to greater likelihood of experiencing higher happiness and optimism over time. Women reported levels of happiness in 1992 (N = 52,133) and optimism in 2004 (N = 36,802). Health-related behaviors (physical activity, body mass index, diet, alcohol and tobacco consumption) were self-reported and combined into a lifestyle score, every four years from baseline until 2014. Multivariable generalized estimating equations with a Poisson distribution were used. Women with moderate and higher (versus lower) happiness levels were more likely to report sustaining healthy lifestyles (RR = 1.18, CI = 1.11–1.25; RR = 1.39, CI = 1.32–1.46, respectively). In secondary analyses, the magnitude of the inverse association was somewhat smaller (likelihood of sustaining higher happiness levels for baseline healthy versus unhealthy lifestyle, RR = 1.11, CI = 1.10–1.12). Results were similar when considering optimism as the exposure and in other secondary analyses (e.g., across individual habits). While bidirectional associations are apparent, these findings suggest pursuing happiness and optimism as modifiable determinants of lifestyle deserves further consideration.
Optimistic people have reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular-related mortality compared with their less optimistic peers. One explanation for this is that optimistic people may be more likely to engage in healthy behavior like exercising frequently, eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding cigarette smoking. However, researchers have not formally determined the extent or direction of optimism's association with health behaviors. Moreover, it is unclear whether optimism temporally precedes health behaviors or whether the relationship is because of shared common causes. We conducted random effects meta-analyses examining optimism's association with 3 health behaviors relevant for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies published through November 2017 reporting on optimism's relationship with physical activity, diet, and cigarette smoking. We identified 34 effect sizes for physical activity (n=90 845), 15 effect sizes for diet (n=47 931), and 15 effect sizes for cigarette smoking (n=15 052). Findings suggested that more optimistic individuals tended to engage in healthier behaviors compared with less optimistic individuals, but effect sizes were modest (r activity =0.07, P<0.0001; r diet =0.12, P<0.0001; and r smoking =0.07, P=0.001). Most evidence was cross-sectional (≥53% of effect sizes) and did not consider sociodemographic characteristics (<53% of effect sizes) or psychological distress (<27% of effect sizes) as potential confounders. Optimism is associated with healthier behaviors that protect against cardiovascular disease, although most evidence was relatively low quality. Additional longitudinal and experimental research is required to determine whether optimism causally contributes to healthy behaviors and whether optimism could be an effective target for preventing cardiovascular disease. (Circ Res.
BMJ open, 2013
To investigate the role of socioeconomic status and psychological stress to potential associations between confidence in the future and a wide range of health-related behaviours. Web-based cross-sectional study including an 'Electronic Health Check' at the Finnish Happiness-Flourishing Study website linked to a TV programme on happiness and depression. The Finnish population with access to the internet. 101 257 Finns aged 18 and above (21 365 men; 79 892 women). Participants who were under the age of 18 and who did not provide information about their gender were excluded. As planned, we assessed smoking, weekly alcohol consumption and binge drinking, daily intake of fruits and vegetables and regular exercise. Compared with participants with low confidence in the future, those with high confidence were less likely to be daily smokers (men OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.65; women 0.57, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.61) and binge drinkers (men 0.57; 0.52 to 0.63; women 0.54; 0.50 to 0.57). Parti...
Optimism and Healthy Aging in Women and Men
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2019
Mounting evidence indicates that there are specific associations between higher levels of optimism and healthier behaviors , reduced risk of chronic diseases, and lower mortality. Yet, for public health purposes, it is critical to consider how optimism might be related to a full scope of health conditions in aging-from cognitive to physical health. Using prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 5,698), we examined whether higher baseline optimism was associated with subsequent increased likelihood of maintaining healthy aging over 6-8 years of follow-up. Optimism was assessed at study baseline (2006 or 2008), and components of healthy aging were assessed every 2 years, defined as: 1) remaining free of major chronic diseases; 2) having no cognitive impairment; and 3) good physical functioning. Hazard ratios were obtained using Cox proportional hazards models, and a range of relevant covariates were considered (sociodemographic factors, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors). After adjusting for sociodemo-graphic factors and depression, the most (top quartile) versus least (bottom quartile) optimistic participants had a 24% increased likelihood of maintaining healthy aging (95% CI: 1.11, 1.38). Further adjustment for health behaviors did not meaningfully change the findings. Optimism, a potentially modifiable health asset, merits further research for its potential to improve likelihood of health in aging. chronic disease; cognitive function; health psychology; healthy aging; optimism; physical function; psychological well-being; resilience Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; HRS, Health and Retirement Study. As populations age, identifying factors that foster maintenance of healthy aging into late life is crucial for improving the health and well-being of older adults and containing health-care costs (1, 2). Although average life expectancy has increased, the number of years lost to disability has also increased (3, 4). Further, US health-care spending, which reached $3.2 trillion in 2015, is expected to increase at an average rate of 5.5% per year over the next decade, an increase that is attributable partly to the rising prevalence and burden of chronic diseases. Although most biomedical and public health efforts to foster health have focused on reducing risk factors, an emerging body of research suggests that there are modifiable health assets that might contribute to reduced risk of age-related chronic diseases (5, 6). Dispositional optimism-the generalized expectation that good things will happen-is one promising health asset. Importantly, it appears as if the potential health benefits of optimism are independent of psychological distress (e.g., depression) (7). Although optimism is approximately 23%-32% heritable (8, 9) and is shaped by social, structural (e.g., socioeconomic status), and life-course factors (10, 11), randomized controlled trials suggest that it might be modified using a variety of methods that range from writing exercises (e.g., writing a list of items for which one is grateful) to classroom-based modules that focus on cognitive-behavioral strategies (12-14). Further, optimism has been associated with healthier behaviors (e.g., physical activity, healthy diet, not smoking, medication adherence) (15-19) and healthier biologic functioning (e.g., lower inflammation and higher antioxidants levels) (20-22), which in turn reduce risk of chronic conditions (23, 24). Finally, a previous study among 33,326 women from the Nurses' Health Study found that the most (top quartile) versus least (bottom quartile) optimistic women had 23% greater odds of healthy aging 8 years later, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and depression (25). However, at that time, the Nurses'
Health Psychology Report, 2019
Background: Several studies have found that optimism is associated with better health. However, all those studies have investigated the subject in a specific context: gender, age group, diagnosis, situation, or population segment. Given the association found between optimism and physical health, mental health and well-being in previous studies, one would expect optimistic individuals in the general population to report fewer physical and mental health conditions during their lifetimes than pessimists. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis. Participants and procedure: A random sample of 1792 people participated in a survey on a broad variety of mental and physical health conditions. In addition they filled out the Life Orientation Test– Revised (LOT-R). Optimism was defined as a score of ≥ 17 on the LOT-R. Results: Optimists reported a lower prevalence of a wide range of mental and physical health conditions compared with pessimists. The associations between optimism and better health conditions persisted for the majority of health conditions investigated, even after adjustment for age, gender and education. Overall, pessimists had a greater estimated risk of disease in general. In addition 11.30% of the pessimists reported having had five or more different diseases during their lifetimes, compared with 3.90% of the optimists. Conclusions: Our results add to growing evidence that optimism plays an important role in health and support the view that fostering optimism is an appropriate strategy for promoting health.
Journal of Research in Personality
How does optimism change over the lifespan and how do changes predict health and well-being? In a preregistered analysis of the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study, we examined changes in and outcomes of optimism over 25 years (1989-2014) in 984 adults aged 16-70. Optimism increased over time similarly across participants. However, more optimistic participants at baseline reported engaging in healthier behaviors, better health, higher life satisfaction, and higher purpose in life 25 years later. Disaggregating health behaviors, we found that health-behavior-effects were specific to physical activity and abstaining from harmful substances/ food. Because participants increased in optimism at similar rates, more work is needed to examine whether changes in optimism predict outcomes, and what factors account for the homogenous change observed here.