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

A healthy lifestyle can support future sexual satisfaction: results from a 9-year longitudinal survey

BACKGROUND

Previous follow-up studies have demonstrated the association between good health behavior and good sexual functioning for men, but the longitudinal relationship between multiple health behaviors and satisfaction with sex life remains understudied.

AIM

The aim of the study was to explore whether good health behavior associates with improved satisfaction with sex life for men and women in a follow-up of 9 years.

METHODS

This cohort study utilized survey data from the population-based Health and Social Support study. It includes responses from 10 671 working-aged Finns. Using linear regression models, we examined a composite sum score representing 4 health behaviors (range, 0-4) in 2003 as a predictor of satisfaction with sex life in 2012. The analyses adjusted for various covariates in 2003, including satisfaction with sex life, living status, age, gender, education, number of diseases, and importance of sex life in 2012.

OUTCOMES

The outcome in the study was satisfaction with sex life in the year 2012.

RESULTS

Participants who exhibited better health behavior at baseline demonstrated improved satisfaction with sex life when compared with those with poorer health behavior (β = -0.046, P = .009), even when controlling for the aforementioned covariates. The positive effect of reporting all beneficial health behaviors vs none of them was greater than having none vs 3 chronic conditions. Furthermore, this was almost half the effect of how satisfaction with sex life in 2003 predicted its level in 2012. These findings were supported by an analysis of the congruence of health behavior in the observation period from 2003 to 2012 predicting changes in satisfaction with sex life.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The results could serve as a motivator for a healthy lifestyle.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

The current study used a longitudinal large sample and a consistent survey procedure, and it explored the personal experience of satisfaction instead of sexual function. However, the study is limited in representing today's diversity of gender, since the options for gender at the time of survey were only male and female.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that engaging in healthy behaviors contributes to the maintenance and enhancement of satisfaction with sex life over time.

Child psychological well-being and adult health behavior and body mass index

OBJECTIVE

Psychological well-being (PWB) is linked with health behaviors among adults, but it is unclear if childhood PWB prospectively predicts healthy adulthood biobehavioral profiles. Such evidence may identify developmental windows for establishing positive health trajectories across the lifespan. Using data spanning 30 years, we investigated whether PWB at age 11 was associated with health behaviors and body mass index (BMI) at ages 33 and 42. We hypothesized children with higher versus lower PWB would engage in healthier behaviors, have lower BMI in adulthood, and be more likely to maintain optimal levels over time.

METHOD

Data were from 4,728 participants of the 1958 National Child Development Study. At age 11, participants wrote an essay about how they imagined their lives at age 25. Two judges rated each essay for multiple facets of PWB, which were combined into a summary score (Cronbach's α = .91). At ages 33 and 42, participants reported on cigarette smoking, physical activity, and diet; BMI was also assessed. Regression models evaluated PWB's association with adult outcomes at each follow-up, and with patterns over time.

RESULTS

Child PWB was unassociated with smoking in adulthood. However, greater child PWB was associated with healthier adult physical activity, diet, and BMI when adjusting for sex. Child PWB was associated with the likelihood of maintaining optimal BMI in adulthood, but not with maintaining healthy behaviors. Some associations were not independent of other childhood covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Early life lays the foundation for lifelong health. Childhood PWB may contribute to healthier behaviors and BMI in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Health Education, Policies, and Services on College Students' Health Behavior

Objective: In this study, we aimed to define the role of health education, health policies, and health service as factors in the health behavior of Chinese college students. It is critical to understand that there is an important role of health behavior in the life of college students in any society because the survival of society is dependent on better health status. Methods: We used SPSS software for analysis to test our hypotheses.Results: We found an important role for health education, health policies, and health services as determinants of health behavior. Conclusion: The focus of healthcare organizations must be to focus on health education, health policies, and health services by creating awareness in college students that ensures they are provided with the appropriate health sector solutions. Additionally, we found theoretical and practical implications to improve the health behavior of Chinese college students via a moderating role of information technology, because, in modern times, the role of information technology is critical to convey information productively.

Changed health behavior improves subjective well-being and vice versa in a follow-up of 9 years

Background

Previous 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.

Methods

Data (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.

Results

A 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.

Conclusion

Changes 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.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12955-022-01972-4.