Effects of Happiness on All-Cause Mortality During 15 Years of Follow-Up: The Arnhem Elderly Study

Author(s):
Koopmans, T.A.; Geleijnse, J.M.; Zitman, F.G.; Giltay, E.J.
Published
2010
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

Abstract

Positive psychological characteristics may be beneficial for physical health. However, prospective data on the effects of happiness on survival is scarce. In a population-based cohort study, the Arnhem Elderly Study, happiness was measured by two items, being: "I have many moments of happiness" and "I often laugh happily". In Cox proportional hazard models, happiness was analyzed as a predictor of 15 year all-cause mortality for 861 (85%) of 1,012 elderly subjects aged 65-85 years. Results showed that happiness was inversely associated with mortality (age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio of 0.78 for happy subjects versus unhappy subjects; 95% confidence interval 0.64-0.95, P = 0.01 for trend), but that this relationship was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for physical activity and prevalent morbidity. Thus, happiness predicts for lower mortality, which may partly be mediated by more physical activity and lower morbidity.

Happiness Longevity Elderly subjects Cohort study Physical activity Illnesses dispositional optimism physical-activity cardiovascular mortality psychosocial predictors rheumatoid-arthritis depressive symptoms life orientation risk-factors pain disease
Date issued
2010-03-31
Language
English
Is part of
Journal of Happiness Studies (2010), Vol. 11, no. 1, p. 113-124
hdl
1887/111558