Title |
Purpose in life and reduced risk of myocardial infarction among older U.S. adults with coronary heart disease: a two-year follow-up
|
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Published in |
Journal of Behavioral Medicine, February 2012
|
DOI | 10.1007/s10865-012-9406-4 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Eric S. Kim, Jennifer K. Sun, Nansook Park, Laura D. Kubzansky, Christopher Peterson |
Abstract |
This study examined whether purpose in life was associated with myocardial infarction among a sample of older adults with coronary heart disease after adjusting for relevant sociodemographic, behavioral, biological, and psychological factors. Prospective data from the Health and Retirement Study-a nationally representative panel study of American adults over the age of 50-were used. Analyses were conducted on the subset of 1,546 individuals who had coronary heart disease at baseline. Greater baseline purpose in life was associated with lower odds of having a myocardial infarction during the 2-year follow-up period. On a six-point purpose in life measure, each unit increase was associated with a multivariate-adjusted odds ratio of 0.73 for myocardial infarction (95% CI, 0.57-0.93, P = .01). The association remained significant after controlling for coronary heart disease severity, self-rated health, and a comprehensive set of possible confounds. Higher purpose in life may play an important role in protecting against myocardial infarction among older American adults with coronary heart disease. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | <1% |
Netherlands | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 156 | 99% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 28 | 18% |
Student > Master | 28 | 18% |
Student > Bachelor | 17 | 11% |
Researcher | 15 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 11 | 7% |
Other | 29 | 18% |
Unknown | 30 | 19% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Medicine and Dentistry | 15 | 9% |
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Business, Management and Accounting | 7 | 4% |
Other | 15 | 9% |
Unknown | 36 | 23% |