(Press-News.org) Numerous studies have shown that leading a fulfilling and satisfying life may improve cognitive function by encouraging health-protective behaviors such as physical activity and reduced stress. Many of these studies assess this relationship from a population level, rather than among individuals.
But a closer look within the general population suggests that life satisfaction may not have a positive effect on all people, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers.
Published in the journal SSM – Mental Health, the study examined psychological well-being among older individuals in the United States and United Kingdom. High life satisfaction was associated with increased cognitive functioning among most individuals, but it was less beneficial for people of low socioeconomic status, in poor health, or experiencing adverse psychological conditions.
The study is the first to examine the effects of psychological well-being on cognitive functioning among older adults. It is important to note that the researchers observed no association of average cognitive effects from psychological well-being at a population level, so without this more granular analysis, the potentially adverse effects of life satisfaction would have been overlooked.
“It was impressive to observe how a relationship with no associations on population average showed underlying differences based on sociodemographic factors, physical health, and psychosocial elements,” says study lead author Toshiaki Komura, a master of public health student at BUSPH.
This new insight emphasizes the importance of considering heterogeneities in public health research to understand who benefits from life satisfaction and who does not.
“Our results indicate that the health benefit of experiencing high life satisfaction may be smaller among socially marginalized groups, so further research is needed to ensure potential interventions have equitable health impacts,” says study senior author Dr. Koichiro Shiba, assistant professor of epidemiology at BUSPH.
For the study, the team used a novel machine-learning method to analyze nationally representative survey data on life satisfaction and cognitive functioning among more than 15,000 adults ages 50 and older in the US and UK, for four-year periods between 2010 and 2016.
The health-promoting effect of life satisfaction in older adults was only evident among participants with higher SES, fewer pre-existing health problems, and better psychological functioning, which was about half of the survey participants.
The researchers surmise that the physical, mental, or socioeconomic challenges that low-SES individuals or adults in poorer health experience may have outweighed any possible cognitive benefits from life satisfaction. For example, life satisfaction could boost cognitive functioning by promoting physical activity, but exercise is not achievable if an individual is not in basic good health or does not have access to resources to exercise, such as residential green space or a gym.
This counterintuitive finding of the adverse effects of life satisfaction may also be explained by a concept called “response shift,” which involves changing internal standards, values and the conceptualization of quality of life.
“Response shift is the adjustment of one's internal view of their quality of life when facing challenging circumstances in which their health status is severely deteriorated,” Komura explains. “In such situations, their standard of quality of life may shift to maintain a favorable psychological environment.”
According to this theory, individuals with disadvantaged socioeconomic, health, and psychosocial conditions might have reported life satisfaction that had been “adjusted” to their circumstances. “Our findings suggest such adjusted subjective feelings might have limited health-promoting effects on cognitive functioning,” he says.
At BUSPH, the study was coauthored by Ruija Chen, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Epidemiology, and Ryan Andrews, research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology. The study was also coauthored by Richard Gowden, psychology research associate for the the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science.
**
About Boston University School of Public Health
Founded in 1976, Boston University School of Public Health is one of the top ten ranked schools of public health in the world. It offers master's- and doctoral-level education in public health. The faculty in six departments conduct policy-changing public health research around the world, with the mission of improving the health of populations—especially the disadvantaged, underserved, and vulnerable—locally and globally
END
Life satisfaction may not enhance cognitive functioning among some older adults
Feeling satisfied in life is generally thought to be a boost to physical and mental health, but a new study suggests that life satisfaction provides little benefit to older adults who also experience health or socioeconomic challenges.
2023-09-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Childbirth associated with significant medical debt
2023-09-28
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – For some families, the year after childbirth may not only mean loads of diapers but stacks of unpaid medical bills as well.
Postpartum individuals are more likely to have medical debt than those who are pregnant, suggests a new Michigan Medicine led study that evaluated collections among a statewide commercially insured cohort of 14,560 pregnant people and 12,157 people in the postpartum period.
“Our findings suggest that current out-of-pocket costs before and after childbirth ...
Every participant counts
2023-09-28
Experimental researchers often find themselves of two minds when interacting with the public. On one side, researchers gather knowledge and test hypotheses based on participants’ responses. On the other side, they use their own knowledge and expertise to engage and educate the public about topics of public concern related to their science.
Abby Walker, associate professor of linguistics in the Department of English at Virginia Tech, and her collaborator secured a National Science Foundation ...
Higher patient satisfaction after breast reconstruction using patients' own tissues
2023-09-28
September 28, 2023 – Women undergoing autologous breast reconstruction – in which the breast is reconstructed using the patient's own tissues– report higher satisfaction with their breasts at follow-up, compared to those undergoing implant-based reconstruction, reports a study in a special October supplement to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
"The findings were unexpected, since autologous ...
Roundtable on ensuring ethical and equitable artificial intelligence and machine learning practices
2023-09-28
The National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health (NADPH) presents a Roundtable Discussion on the topic of embedding ethics and equity into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) infrastructure. The expert panel discussion is published in the peer-reviewed journal Big Data. Click here to read the article now.
Moderating the Roundtable Discussion is Malaika Simmons, MSHE, Chief Operating Officer of NADPH. The expert panelists include Rachele Hendricks-Sturrup, DHSc, Chief Data Governance Officer and Project Director, NADPH, Gabriella Waters, Director of Research and Operations, Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems, Director of the ...
Skin behind the ears and between the toes can host a collection of unhealthy microbes
2023-09-28
WASHINGTON (Sept. 28, 2023) — Grandmother was right: Scrubbing behind the ears and between the toes may help keep the skin in those regions healthy, or so says a new study by a team at the George Washington University.
The microbiome, or the collection of microbes living on and in the human body, are known to play a role in human health and the skin is no different. A new study by a team at the George Washington University has shown that the composition of the skin microbiome varies across dry, moist and oily regions of the skin.
Researchers ...
Indigenous community-first approach to more ethical microbiome research
2023-09-28
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Every person hosts trillions of microorganisms, like bacteria and viruses, on their skin and in organs including those that make up the digestive tract, like their mouth, that collectively make up their microbiome. Microbiome research can lead to medical breakthroughs to treat diseases like inflammatory bowel syndrome and diabetes. According to Laura Weyrich, associate professor of anthropology and bioethics at Penn State, microbiome samples from Indigenous communities have played an important role in furthering Western ...
How parents’ work stress affects family mealtimes and children’s development
2023-09-28
URBANA, Ill. – Family mealtimes are important for parents and children as a space to communicate, socialize, and build attachment relationships. But it can be difficult for busy parents to balance family and work life. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how parents’ job stress influences their attendance at family mealtimes, and in turn, children’s socioemotional development.
“We all struggle to maintain the balance between work life and family life. But this might ...
Walking more than five flights of stairs a day can cut risk of heart disease by 20%, study says
2023-09-28
Forget walking 10,000 steps a day. Taking at least 50 steps climbing stairs each day could significantly slash your risk of heart disease, according to a new study from Tulane University.
The study, published in Atherosclerosis, found that climbing more than five flights of stairs daily could reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) along with coronary artery disease and stroke are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
“Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient ...
Global team recommends ethical rules for human research in commercial spaceflight
2023-09-28
The first ethical framework for conducting human research on commercial spaceflight was proposed today in an article in Science by an international team that included Hastings Center president Vardit Ravitsky. Ravitsky’s contribution focused on promoting diversity among the researchers and participants, which is essential to ensuring the research benefits society at large.
Human research on commercial spaceflight is expected to expand significantly in the near future, and yet there are no rules for ...
Ultrasound may rid groundwater of toxic ‘forever chemicals’
2023-09-28
COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research suggests that ultrasound may have potential in treating a group of harmful chemicals known as PFAS to eliminate them from contaminated groundwater.
Invented nearly a century ago, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as “forever chemicals,” were once widely used to create products such as cookware, waterproof clothing and personal care items. Today, scientists understand that exposure to PFAS can cause a number of human health issues such as birth defects and cancer. But because the bonds inside these chemicals don’t break down easily, they’re notoriously ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people
Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance
Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors
Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep
Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots
NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma
Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits
Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products
Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV
Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)
Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids
Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue
UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’
New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening
Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition
CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves
Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam
Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand
Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch
New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed
New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations
Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency
How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads
Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids
Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation
Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria
Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options
Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity
Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers
[Press-News.org] Life satisfaction may not enhance cognitive functioning among some older adultsFeeling satisfied in life is generally thought to be a boost to physical and mental health, but a new study suggests that life satisfaction provides little benefit to older adults who also experience health or socioeconomic challenges.