Journal of Psychosomatic Research ( IF 4.7 ) Pub Date : 2021-04-03 , DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110485 Emily C Willroth 1 , Daniel K Mroczek 2 , Patrick L Hill 3
Objective
Having a sense of purpose in life is fundamental to psychological and physical well-being. Despite the benefits of purpose, it may be difficult to hold onto purpose as people age. The present research addressed four aims: (1) to estimate average change in sense of purpose during midlife; (2) to test associations between purpose levels and later physical health; (3) to test associations between purpose change and later physical health; (4) to examine the cross-cultural generalizability of findings.
Methods
We used reliable change indices to estimate change in sense of purpose during midlife in three prospective cohorts: one comprised predominately of White participants in the U.S. (N = 2692), a second predominately of African American participants in the U.S. (N = 248), and a third of Japanese participants in Tokyo (N = 644). Next, we used linear regression to examine associations between purpose levels and purpose change and later self-reported general health and chronic health conditions.
Results
At the group level, purpose declined slightly across time (Cohen's ds = −0.08 to −0.17). At the individual level, 10–14% of participants reliably decreased in purpose, whereas only 6–8% of participants reliably increased in purpose. Consistent with our preregistered hypotheses, higher purpose levels predicted better health in the two larger samples (βs = 0.10–0.18, small effects) and more positive purpose change predicted better health in all three samples (βs = 0.04–0.22., small to medium effects).
Conclusion
Together, these findings suggest that both having a sense of purpose and holding onto it may be important for physical health in middle to older adulthood.
中文翻译:
在中年保持目标感预示着更好的身体健康
客观的
在生活中拥有目标感是心理和身体健康的基础。尽管目标有好处,但随着人们年龄的增长,可能很难坚持目标。本研究涉及四个目标:(1)估计中年期间目标感的平均变化;(2) 测试目的水平与后来的身体健康之间的关联;(3) 测试目的改变与后来的身体健康之间的关联;(4) 检验研究结果的跨文化普遍性。
方法
我们使用可靠的变化指数来估计三个前瞻性队列中中年期间目标感的变化:一个主要由美国的白人参与者组成(N = 2692),第二个主要是美国的非裔美国人参与者(N = 248),和三分之一的日本参与者在东京(N = 644)。接下来,我们使用线性回归来检查目的水平与目的变化以及后来自我报告的一般健康和慢性健康状况之间的关联。
结果
在小组层面,目标随着时间的推移略有下降(Cohen's d s = -0.08 到 -0.17)。在个人层面,10-14% 的参与者的目的可靠地下降,而只有 6-8% 的参与者的目的可靠地增加。与我们预先注册的假设一致,更高的目的水平预测两个较大样本的健康状况更好(βs = 0.10-0.18,小影响),更积极的目的变化预测所有三个样本的健康状况更好(βs = 0.04-0.22.,小到中等影响)。
结论
总之,这些研究结果表明,拥有目标感和坚持目标感对于中老年人的身体健康可能很重要。