In a study just published by researchers at Chapman University, findings showed that greater life satisfaction in adults older than 50 years of age is related to a reduced risk of mortality. The researchers also found that variability in life satisfaction across time increases risk of mortality, but only among less satisfied people. The study involved nearly 4,500 participants who were followed for up to nine years.
'Although life satisfaction is typically considered relatively consistent across time, it may change in response to life circumstances such as divorce or unemployment,' said Julia Boehm, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Chapman University. 'Some people may adapt more readily to new situations and thus appear to have relatively stable life satisfaction, and others may not adapt as quickly. If people repeatedly encounter distressing life events that diminish their life satisfaction, then fluctuations in lower levels of satisfaction seem to be particularly harmful for longevity.'
In each year of the nine-year study, older men and women responded to the question, 'All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life?' Responses ranged from zero to 10, with 10 indicating greater life satisfaction. The researchers assessed both average life satisfaction across time and the variability in life satisfaction across time. Other factors accounted for in the study included age, gender, education, health conditions, smoking status, physical activity, and depressive symptoms.
[For more of this story, written by Sheri Ledbetter, go to http://medicalxpress.com/news/...ty-older-adults.html]
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