1
|
Craig H, Gasevic D, Ryan J, Owen A, McNeil J, Woods R, Britt C, Ward S, Freak-Poli R. Socioeconomic, Behavioural, and Social Health Correlates of Optimism and Pessimism in Older Men and Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3259. [PMID: 36833951 PMCID: PMC9961087 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimism is a disposition characterised by positive future expectancies, while pessimism is characterised by expecting the worst. High optimism and low pessimism promote the health of older adults and may potentiate full engagement in life. We identified socioeconomic, behavioural, and social factors associated with optimism and pessimism in older adults. METHODS Participants included 10,146 community-dwelling, apparently healthy Australian adults aged 70 years and over from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP). Optimism and pessimism were measured using the revised Life Orientation Test. Cross-sectional ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the socioeconomic, behavioural, and social health factors associated with optimism and pessimism. RESULTS Higher education, greater physical activity, lower loneliness, and volunteering were associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism. Low social support was associated with higher pessimism. Higher socioeconomic advantage, greater income, and living alone were associated with lower pessimism. Women were more optimistic and less pessimistic than men. The association of age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption with optimism and pessimism differed for men and women. CONCLUSIONS Factors associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism were also those demonstrated to support healthy ageing. Health-promotion action at the individual level (e.g., smoking cessation or regular physical activity), health professional level (e.g., social prescribing or improving access and quality of care for all older adults), and community level (e.g., opportunities for volunteer work or low-cost social activities for older adults) may improve optimism and reduce pessimism, possibly also promoting healthy ageing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather Craig
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Danijela Gasevic
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Joanne Ryan
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Alice Owen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - John McNeil
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Robyn Woods
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Carlene Britt
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Stephanie Ward
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Rosanne Freak-Poli
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
- School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Oh J, Purol MF, Weidmann R, Chopik WJ, Kim ES, Baranski E, Schwaba T, Lodi-Smith J, Whitbourne SK. Health and well-being consequences of optimism across 25 years in the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
3
|
Schutte N, Malouff JM. The association between optimism and telomere length: A meta-analysis. THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2020.1832249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Schutte
- Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lee HH, Kubzansky LD, Okuzono SS, Trudel-Fitzgerald C, James P, Koga HK, Kim ES, Glover LM, Sims M, Grodstein F. Optimism and risk of mortality among African-Americans: The Jackson heart study. Prev Med 2022; 154:106899. [PMID: 34863812 PMCID: PMC8754053 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Optimism is associated with reduced mortality risk among Whites, but evidence for this relationship is limited among African-Americans, whose life expectancy is shorter than Whites. This study examined the association between optimism and mortality rate in African-Americans. Data were from African-American women (n = 2652) and men (n = 1444) in the United States from the Jackson Heart Study. Optimism was measured using the Life Orientation Test-Revised at the baseline period (2000-2004), and mortality data were obtained until 2018. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality by optimism level, controlling for sociodemographic factors, depressive symptoms, health conditions, and health behaviors. In secondary analyses, we evaluated potential effect modification by sex, age, income, and education. Higher optimism was related to lower mortality rates (HR = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74, 0.99), controlling for sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. After further adjusting for health conditions and health behaviors, associations were slightly attenuated (HR = 0.89; 95%CI = 0.77, 1.02). Stronger associations between optimism and mortality were observed in men, among those with higher income or education, and with age ≤ 55 (all p's for interaction terms <0.06). In summary, optimism was associated with lower mortality rates among African-Americans in the Jackson Heart Study. Effect modification by sociodemographic factors should be further explored in additional research considering optimism and mortality in diverse populations. Positive factors, such as optimism, may provide important health assets that can complement ongoing public health efforts to reduce health disparities, which have traditionally focused primarily on risk factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harold H Lee
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Laura D Kubzansky
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sakurako S Okuzono
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudia Trudel-Fitzgerald
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter James
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hayami K Koga
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric S Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - LáShauntá M Glover
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mario Sims
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cheng KJG, McMaughan DJD, Smith ML. The Role of Optimism on the Relationship Between Activity Limitations and Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States: A Growth Curve Model of Changes Over Time. J Appl Gerontol 2021; 41:993-1001. [PMID: 34870492 DOI: 10.1177/07334648211056638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity limitations can diminish life satisfaction. This study explored the role of optimism on the relationship between changes in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) limitations and life satisfaction over time among middle-aged and older adults. Growth curve modeling accounting for intra- and inter-individual changes in life satisfaction was applied to the 2008-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study Leave Behind Survey subsample (n = 39,122 person-years). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, physical functioning decline adversely affected life satisfaction (βADL = -0.12, βIADL = -0.13, p < 0.001), but the negative consequences reduced slightly through optimism (βADL = -0.11, βIADL = -0.12, βoptimism = 0.47, p < 0.001). Increasing optimism could reduce the negative consequences of ADL/IADL limitations on life satisfaction among middle-aged to older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kent Jason Go Cheng
- Social Science Department, Maxwell School of Citizenship, 2029Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Darcy Jones Dj McMaughan
- Health Education and Promotion, School of Community Health Sciences, Counseling, and Counseling Psychology, 33086Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Matthew Lee Smith
- Center for Population Health and Aging, 14736Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.,Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, 14736Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Morone NE, Herbeck BB, Huang Y, Abebe KZ, Rollman BL, Jonassaint CR. The Impact of Optimism and Pain Interference on Response to Online Behavioral Treatment for Mood and Anxiety Symptoms. Psychosom Med 2021; 83:1067-1074. [PMID: 34267085 PMCID: PMC8578348 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore a) if high pain interference has a negative effect on response to computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT) for anxiety and depression and b) whether high optimism can buffer the negative effects of pain interference on cCBT outcomes. METHODS We performed a secondary analysis of data on 403 participants from the randomized controlled clinical trial "Online Treatment for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Primary Care." It examined the impact of cCBT, with and without access to an Internet support group, on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mood, and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS High versus low pain interference had a negative effect on response to cCBT for physical HRQoL regardless of high or low optimism level (between group difference = -3.46 [-5.89 to -1.03], p = .005, or -4.06 [-6.28 to -1.85], p < .001, respectively). However, in the context of low optimism/high pain interference only negatively impacted the effect of cCBT on mental HRQoL (3.68 [0.63 to 6.73], p = .018) and anxiety symptoms (-2.61 [-4.87 to -0.35], p = .024). Although the pattern of effects was similar for depressive symptoms, the between-group differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS High optimism may buffer against the negative effects of pain interference on treatment response from cCBT. Primary care patients who report high pain interference yet also lack optimism may not receive as much benefit from cCBT as other groups. Furthermore, this study found an unexpected positive effect of low optimism on treatment response. For depressed and anxious patients with low pain interference, low optimism enhanced the impact of cCBT on mental HRQoL.Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01482806.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia E Morone
- From the Section of General Internal Medicine (Morone), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; University of Pittsburgh Center for Behavioral Health, Media, and Technology, Division of General Internal Medicine (Belnap Herbeck, Rollman, Jonassaint), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (Belnap Herbeck), University of Göttingen Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany; and Division of General Internal Medicine (Huang, Abebe), and Center for Research on Health Care Data Center, Division of General Internal Medicine (Abebe), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Crosswell AD, Sagui-Henson S, Prather AA, Coccia M, Irwin MR, Epel ES. Psychological Resources and Biomarkers of Health in the Context of Chronic Parenting Stress. Int J Behav Med 2021; 29:175-187. [PMID: 34357581 PMCID: PMC8343363 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-021-10007-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Epidemiological studies link psychological resources to better physical health. One reason may be that psychological resources are protective in stressful contexts. This study tested whether indeed psychological resources are protective against biological degradation for healthy mid-life women under the chronic stress of caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (“caregivers”). Methods We tested whether five types of psychosocial resources (i.e., eudaimonic well-being, autonomy, purpose in life, self-acceptance, and mastery) were associated with biological indices of aging in a sample of mid-life women stratified by chronic stress; half were caregivers (n = 92) and half were mothers of neurotypical children (n = 91; controls). Selected stress and age related biological outcomes were insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systemic inflammation (IL-6, CRP), and cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length). We tested whether each resource was associated with these biomarkers, and whether caregiving status and high parenting stress moderated that relationship. Results All the psychological resources except mastery were significantly negatively associated with insulin resistance, while none were related to systemic inflammation or telomere length. The relationships between eudaimonic well-being and HOMA-IR, and self-acceptance and HOMA-IR, were moderated by parental stress; lower resources were associated with higher insulin resistance, but only for women reporting high parental stress. The well-known predictors of age and BMI accounted for 46% of variance in insulin resistance, and psychological resources accounted for an additional 13% of variance. Conclusion These findings suggest that higher eudaimonic well-being and greater self-acceptance may be protective for the metabolic health of mid-life women, and particularly in the context of high parenting stress. This has important implications given the rising rates of both parental stress and metabolic disease, and because psychological interventions can increase eudaimonic well-being and self-acceptance. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12529-021-10007-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra D. Crosswell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 465, CA 94118 San Francisco, USA
| | - Sara Sagui-Henson
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Fransisco, CA San Francisco, USA
| | - Aric A. Prather
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 465, CA 94118 San Francisco, USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 465, CA 94118 San Francisco, USA
| | - Michael R. Irwin
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, USA
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street Suite 465, CA 94118 San Francisco, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lee HH, Okuzono SS, Kim ES, De Vivo I, Raffield LM, Glover L, Sims M, Grodstein F, Kubzansky LD. Optimism and telomere length among African American adults in the Jackson Heart Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 125:105124. [PMID: 33434830 PMCID: PMC8052931 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimism is linked with greater longevity in both White and African American populations. Optimism may enhance longevity by slowing cellular aging, for which leukocyte telomere shortening is a biomarker. However, limited studies have examined the association of optimism with leukocyte telomere length among African Americans. METHODS Data are from 723 men and 1244 women participating in the Jackson Heart Study (age = 21-93 years). We used multivariable linear regression models to conduct cross-sectional analyses examining whether higher optimism was associated with longer mean absolute leukocyte telomere length (assayed with Southern blot analysis). Models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptomatology, health conditions, and health behavior-related factors. We also considered potential effect modification by key factors. RESULTS In the age-adjusted model, optimism, measured as a continuous variable, was not associated with leukocyte telomere length (β = 0.01, 95%CI: -0.02, 0.04). This association remained null in the fully-adjusted model (β = 0.02, 95%CI: -0.02, 0.05) and was also null when considering optimism as a binary measure (higher vs. lower optimism). We found no evidence of effect modification by sex, age, body mass index, income, or chronic conditions. CONCLUSIONS Optimism was not associated with leukocyte telomere length among African American adults. Future studies should investigate alternate biological and behavioral mechanisms that may explain the optimism-health association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harold H. Lee
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (Address: 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115)
| | - Sakurako S. Okuzono
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (Address: 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115)
| | - Eric S. Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia (Address: 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada)
| | - Immaculata De Vivo
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, (Address: 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115)
| | - Laura M. Raffield
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Address: Genetic Medicine Building, 120 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27514)
| | - LáShauntá Glover
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Address: 135 Dauer Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27599)
| | - Mario Sims
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center (Address: 2500 N State St, Jackson, MS 39216)
| | - Francine Grodstein
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (Address: 600 South Paulina Street, Suite 1028, Chicago, IL 60612)
| | - Laura D. Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (Address: 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115)
| |
Collapse
|