PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood

Adolescents who reported higher feelings of happiness and calm reported lower rates of anxiety and higher optimism as adults

Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood
2024-04-02
(Press-News.org) Adolescents with high positive affect may have improved physical and mental health as adults, according to a study published April 2nd in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Eric Kim and Renae Wilkinson from Harvard University, US, and colleagues.

Positive affect is the experience of pleasurable emotions, such as happiness, joy, excitement, and calm. Research on adults has shown that positive affect is associated with healthier behaviors and decreased risk of chronic diseases, but data are limited in adolescents. Given that adolescence is a critical time for establishing healthy mindsets and behaviors, it represents a key period for interventions aimed at setting people on a healthier life course.

In this study, researchers used data from a prospective, representative sample of approximately 10,000 U.S. adolescents in grades 7–12 (aged about 15–18) in the mid-1990s who were followed into adulthood. Participants reported on aspects of their background, health, and well-being at several time points throughout the study.

The researchers grouped participants based on how much their positive affect increased over one year during adolescence. They then assessed whether adolescents with a higher increase in positive affect had healthier outcomes as adults based on 41 outcomes related to physical health, healthy behavior, mental and psychological well-being, and prosocial behavior.

The results show that adolescents with higher increases in positive affect scored higher on several outcomes within each of these categories, even after controlling for demographic and other variables that may bias the results. One of the biggest effects was seen in mental health, where positive affect was associated with a lower likelihood of ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and stress.

The study suggests that interventions designed to improve positive affect may have enduring impacts into adulthood, though the researchers note the limitations in using self-reported data and the possibility of additional confounding factors that they didn’t consider.

The authors add, “Several prominent organizations like the OECD, WHO, and UN are advocating for nations to integrate well-being indicators alongside economic indicators when sculpting policies. Emerging evidence from randomized controlled trials aimed at individuals, and case studies of successful policies aimed at entire populations, suggest positive affect can be enhanced. Our findings suggest that targeting positive affect during adolescence, a critical developmental phase for acquiring health assets and establishing healthy mindsets, is a promising point of intervention that might enhance the trajectory of health/well-being in adulthood.”

#####

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Medicine: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004365

Citation: Kim ES, Wilkinson R, Okuzono SS, Chen Y, Shiba K, Cowden RG, et al. (2024) Positive affect during adolescence and health and well-being in adulthood: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach. PLoS Med 21(4): e1004365. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004365

Author Countries: United States

Funding: This work was supported by grants from the Michael Smith Health Research BC (https://healthresearchbc.ca/; ESK), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/; ESK), and the John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/; TJV) The funders did not play any role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Methods sections often lack critical details needed to reproduce an experiment, and the practice of citing previous papers instead of describing the methods in detail may contribute to this problem

Methods sections often lack critical details needed to reproduce an experiment, and the practice of citing previous papers instead of describing the methods in detail may contribute to this problem
2024-04-02
Methods sections often lack critical details needed to reproduce an experiment, and the practice of citing previous papers instead of describing the methods in detail may contribute to this problem Analysis of >750 papers shows that >90% of papers use at least one shortcut citation, that these significantly impair reconstruction of the original method, and that <25% of journals have policies relating to previously described methods   ##### In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS ...

Study: AI writing, illustration emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans

2024-04-02
LAWRENCE — With the evolution of artificial intelligence comes discussion of the technology's environmental impact. A new study has found that for the tasks of writing and illustrating, AI emits hundreds of times less carbon than humans performing the same tasks. That does not mean, however, that AI can or should replace human writers and illustrators, the study’s authors argue. Andrew Torrance, Paul E. Wilson Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, is co-author of a study that compared established systems such as ChatGPT, Bloom AI, DALL-E2 and others completing writing and illustrating to that of humans.  Like ...

Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers develop early osteoarthritis detection tool

Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers develop early osteoarthritis detection tool
2024-04-02
Media Alert: DENVER/April 2, 2024 — Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers introduced a straightforward questionnaire to help horse owners identify and monitor signs of osteoarthritis pain in their equine companions. This initiative aims to facilitate earlier and more effective treatment, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for horses. Created by Dr. Janny de Grauw, Senior Lecturer at The Royal Veterinary College in the United Kingdom, Bryony Lancaster, Program Director, MSc Equine Science of the University of Edinburgh and Dr. Diane Howard, the questionnaire is modeled after the Brief Pain Inventory used to evaluate pain severity and its impact ...

Companies ignoring climate risks get punished by markets, new study reveals

2024-04-02
A pioneering study from the University of Florida has quantified corporations’ exposure to climate change risks like hurricanes, wildfires, and climate-related regulations and the extent to which climate risks are priced into their market valuations. The research also exposes a costly divide – companies that proactively manage climate risks fare much better than those that ignore the threats. Using textual analysis of earnings call transcripts from almost 5,000 U.S. public companies, researchers developed novel measures of firms’ physical climate risk exposure ...

These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago. They may be gone in decades.

These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago. They may be gone in decades.
2024-04-02
Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you’ve probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level, and nearly all scrub mints grow in areas that are being rapidly developed or converted to agricultural pasture. In a new study, researchers analyzed a distinct type of DNA marker, which shows there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at least one species has been left without federal protection because of a technicality. “The Titusville balm is currently considered ...

Researchers at CiQUS synthesize new compounds within living cells using light

2024-04-02
Plants harness chlorophyll to capture sunlight and kickstart photosynthesis, a crucial process on our planet that converts luminous energy into chemical fuel while producing oxygen. This pivotal chemical energy is subsequently utilized by plants, algae, and select bacteria to metabolize carbon dioxide and water into sugars. Now, scientists at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) have achieved a breakthrough by integrating non-native photosensitizers into mammalian cells. This revelation showcases the capability of these substances to also absorb green ...

Dr. Arati Dasgupta honored by the Nuclear and Plasma Science Society

Dr. Arati Dasgupta honored by the Nuclear and Plasma Science Society
2024-04-02
WASHINGTON  –  U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) plasma physicist, Arati Dasgupta, Ph.D., head, Radiation Hydrodynamics Branch, Plasma Physics Division, receives the 2024 IEEE Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) Award for her fundamental contributions to, and leadership of, high energy density plasma, atomic, and radiation physics, fusion applications, and service to the plasma science community. Presented by the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, the PSAC Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of plasma science and engineering. Dasgupta is the 37th winner of the PSAC Award — one of three women ever to receive ...

All-cash home buyers pay 10% less than mortgage buyers

2024-04-02
Owning a home has long been considered a crucial way to build wealth, but making such a purchase has become increasingly difficult for many residents. In addition to steep housing prices and high interest rates, there have been a growing number of all-cash buyers who can close a deal quickly, beating out competing offers from buyers who need to finance their home with a mortgage. The convenience and certainty of all-cash offers appeals to sellers so much so, that they pay on average 10 % less than mortgage buyers, according to a new study from the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management. “When sellers accept a mortgage offer, it comes with risk,” said Michael ...

Must mRNA be cloaked in a lipid coat to serve as a vaccine?

Must mRNA be cloaked in a lipid coat to serve as a vaccine?
2024-04-02
The Uchida Laboratory (Lab Head: Prof. Satoshi Uchida, Department of Advanced Nanomedical Engineering, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University; abbreviated as TMDU) of Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (Center Director: Prof. Kazunori Kataoka, Location: Kawasaki, Japan; abbreviated as iCONM) has demonstrated that intradermal administration of mRNA alone (naked mRNA) without protected by nanoparticles induced robust vaccination against SARS CoV-2, a virus causing COVID-19, in mice and primates, ...

Infant gut microbes have their own circadian rhythm, and diet has little impact on how the microbiome assembles

Infant gut microbes have their own circadian rhythm, and diet has little impact on how the microbiome assembles
2024-04-02
Infant gut microbiomes oscillate with a circadian rhythm, even when they are cultivated outside of the body. Researchers report April 2 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe that the rhythm is detectable as early as 2 weeks after birth but becomes more pronounced with age. The finding comes from a randomized controlled trial that also showed that diet has less impact on the development and composition of the infant microbiome than previously thought. “We found that even at very early ages of colonization, the microbial ecosystem develops this circadian rhythmicity,” ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Nationwide study looks at when and where EV owners use public charging stations

A new discovery about the source of the vast energy in cosmic rays

Cancer ‘fingerprint’ can improve early detection

Rethinking the brain pacemaker: How better materials can improve signals

Allostatic load, educational attainment, and risk of cancer mortality among us men

Flaw in computer memory leads to global security fixes

Race, ethnicity, and sleep in us children

Geriatric surgery verification program can improve outcomes for older cancer patients in community hospitals

Pew funds 8 teams to conduct collaborative biomedical research

Finding innovative ways to address kidney cancer leads to DoD grant

Americans are uninformed about and undervaccinated for HPV

KTU scientists developed a nanolaser: silver nanocubes enable light generation

Insilico Medicine nominates orally available pre-clinical candidate targeting NLRP3 to treat inflammation and central nervous system diseases

PLOS receives $3.3 million grant to support Open Access publishing & business model transformation

HBx facilitates drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via CD133-regulated self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells

ASN congratulates members for their role in the development of the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Late-stage breast cancer diagnosis on the rise in US

Brain volume changes seen in opioid users

Ultra-processed foods may drive colorectal cancer risk, USF-TGH study finds

Two Case Western Reserve University faculty members honored as Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

How this cancer drug could make radiation a slam dunk therapy

National TRAP Program funds large-scale cleanup of discarded fishing gear

Using ‘biological age’ to predict early colorectal cancer risk

National Academy of Inventors announces Class of 2024 Fellows

SwRI showcases capabilities, evaluates novel fire-safety method with customized test

Caring for the emotional and spiritual needs of family members of ICU patients

Navigating crises: The financial adaptations of NGOs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Early life exposure to toxic chemicals may cause behavioral, psychological problems

AI predicts Earth’s peak warming

Risk of coronary artery disease in patients with liver cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

[Press-News.org] Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood
Adolescents who reported higher feelings of happiness and calm reported lower rates of anxiety and higher optimism as adults