Subjective well-being is heritable and genetically correlated with dominance in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

The hypothesis that subjective well-being (SWB) is heritable and genetically correlated with Dominance was tested using 128 zoo chimpanzees. Dominance was a chimpanzee-specific personality factor including items reflecting Extraversion and low Neuroticism. SWB was measured with a 4-item scale. The best behavior genetic model included additive genetic and nonshared environmental effects for SWB and Dominance, marginal maternal effects for SWB, a high genetic correlation, and a low nonshared environmental correlation. Results indicated that the shared variance between SWB and Dominance was a consequence of common genes and that the unique variance between SWB and Dominance was a consequence of the nonshared environment. These findings indicate that common genes may underlie the correlation between human personality factors and SWB. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Back pain and agricultural work among farmers: an analysis of the Colorado Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Survey

BACKGROUND: Back pain is the most prevalent occupational health problem experienced by much of the world's workforce. However, agricultural work-related back pain occurring among US farmers working on small operations or family farms is usually not included in surveillance. With data collected by Colorado Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Survey, this study reports characteristics of and risk factors for back pain among adult farmers living in eight Colorado counties. METHODS: A stratified probability sample of 500 farms was selected in proportion to the number of farms in study areas. During the 4-year period from 1993 through 1996, 458 farms were enrolled in the study and 759 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire. Information on self-reported back pain and potential risk factors among 742 white farmers was evaluated and reported here. RESULTS: A total of 194 farmers (26.2%) reported to have had at least one episode of back pain lasting for 1 week or more. Males had a slightly higher prevalence of back pain than females (28.6% vs. 22.5%) and the lower back was the predominantly affected part of body among both males and females. In 45.4% of males and 43.9% of females back pain was brought on by repeated activities. Males' activities at work were more likely to cause back pain while females' activities at home were more likely to cause back pain. Three factors were found to be significantly associated with back pain: being depressed (odds ratio (OR) = 3.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.23-6.09), farming/ranching as main activities (OR = 1.66, CI = 1.17-2.36), and worked in agriculture for 10 to 29 years (OR = 1.62, CI = 1.14-2.30). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses indicate that back pain is an occupational health problem among farmers on small operations or family farms and that back pain affected males and females differently. The finding of significant positive associations between depression, farming activities, and back pain warrants further attention.     

Perceived control over development and subjective well-being: Differential benefits across adulthood.

The relationship between perceived control over development (PCD) and subjective well-being (SWB) across adulthood was examined in 3 studies. In Study 1, with 480 adults aged between 20 and 90 years, PCD was closely related to SWB. Chronological age moderated the associations between PCD and SWB beyond individual differences in health, intelligence, social support, and socioeconomic status. In the longitudinal Study 2, with 42 older adults, strong PCD was associated with increased positive affect only when desirable events had occurred previously. In Study 3, older adults experienced greater satisfaction when attributing attainment of developmental goals to their ability, whereas younger adults were more satisfied when attributing such successes to their own efforts. Findings point to adaptive adjustments of control perceptions to age-related actual control potentials across adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influences of socioeconomic status, social network, and competence on subjective well-being in later life: A meta-analysis.

Meta-analysis is used to synthesize findings from 286 empirical studies on the association of socioeconomic status (SES), social network, and competence with subjective well-being (SWB) in the elderly. All three aspects of life circumstances are positively associated with SWB. Income is correlated more strongly with well-being than is education. The quality of social contacts shows stronger associations with SWB than does the quantity of social contacts. Whereas having contact with friends is more strongly related to SWB than having contact with adult children, there are higher associations between life satisfaction and quality of contact with adult children when compared with quality of friendships. Moderating influences of gender and age on the effects of SES, social network, and competence on SWB are also investigated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Otitis media: relationship to tonsillitis, sinusitis and atopic diseases

In order to estimate the co-morbidity between ear infections and related childhood diseases, data about the occurrence of recurrent ear infections, tonsillitis, sinusitis and atopic diseases from a population based sample of 7992 Norwegian twins were analysed. Correlational results revealed two general clusters, one consisting of upper respiratory tract infections (URI), the other defined by the atopic diseases. Overall, associations between the diseases were greater in males. The sizes of the correlations within each subgroup of infections were moderate, but significant, ranging from 0.191 to 0.363. Similar results were found for the relationship within the subgroup of atopies, with correlations ranging from 0.134 to 0.466. The correlations between the infectious and atopic diseases were weak. Both ear infections and tonsillitis seemed to be predisposing factors for sinusitis. The relative risk of sinusitis among individuals with a history of ear infections was 3.4 (1.9-6.2) and 1.9 (1.2-3.0) for males and females, respectively. Ear infections conferred an increase in tonsillitis, estimated at 2.3 (1.6-3.0) and 2.0 (1.2-3.6) for males and females, respectively. In conclusion, the present study finds evidence for a common predisposition of upper respiratory infections as well as for atopic diseases, but only moderate correlation between the subgroups. Specifically, between ear infections and hay fever there was no covariation.     

On the cognitive basis of subjective well-being analysis: What do individuals have to say about it?

Examined the perceived importance of comparison and causal attribution for well-being in the process of subjective well-being (SWB) evaluation. After having reporting their SWB level, 240 Ss from 2 age groups (19–27 yr old undergraduates and their 40–78 yr old parents) were asked to indicate the extent to which they based their SWB judgment on different types of comparisons (social, temporal, and telic). Ss also indicated if they perceived various causes (internal and external) to be responsible for their current level of well-being. Results indicate that social comparisons were not perceived as being important in SWB evaluation. Telic comparison was reported to be used more than other comparison types by young adults, but related negatively to their SWB level. Ss attributed their well-being more to internal than external causes. However, the more strongly they could ascertain various causes (internal and external) to explain their SWB, the higher their SWB level was. It is suggested that individuals' accounts of the processes involved in their personal well-being evaluation could be a useful approach to understand and promote the experience of happiness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pain Catastrophizing Is Associated With Health Indices in Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Dutch Community.

Cross-sectional associations were examined between pain catastrophizing and several health indices in 1,164 people with musculoskeletal pain from a Dutch community sample. Health indices included in the present study were specialist consultation, use of medication, and absenteeism or work disability. The results demonstrate that for people with a current episode of musculoskeletal pain, pain catastrophizing, pain intensity, and the presence of multiple pain locations were significantly associated with specialist consultation, use of pain medication, and absenteeism or work disability. The authors conclude that the role of pain itself has perhaps been underestimated in recent models of chronic pain-related disability. Some clinical implications and suggestions for further research are given. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in the genetic and environmental influences on childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial behavior.

Sex differences in the genetic and environmental influences on childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial behavior were examined in a large community sample of 6,383 adult male, female, and opposite-sex twins. Retrospective reports of childhood conduct disorder (prior to 18 years of age) were obtained when participants were approximately 30 years old, and lifetime reports of adult antisocial behavior (antisocial behavior after 17 years of age) were obtained 8 years later. Results revealed that either the genetic or the shared environmental factors influencing childhood conduct disorder differed for males and females (i.e., a qualitative sex difference), but by adulthood, these sex-specific influences on antisocial behavior were no longer apparent. Further, genetic and environmental influences accounted for proportionally the same amount of variance in antisocial behavior for males and females in childhood and adulthood (i.e., there were no quantitative sex differences). Additionally, the stability of antisocial behavior from childhood to adulthood was slightly greater for males than females. Though familial factors accounted for more of the stability of antisocial behavior for males than females, genetic factors accounted for the majority of the covariation between childhood conduct disorder and adult antisocial behavior for both sexes. The genetic influences on adult antisocial behavior overlapped completely with the genetic influences on childhood conduct disorder for both males and females. Implications for future twin and molecular genetic studies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual behavior in young adulthood: A population-based twin study.

Objective: With behavior genetic analyses of data from young adult twins, we evaluated theoretical perspectives that differentially emphasize biological dispositions, social/cultural factors, or universal pathways to explain individual differences in sexual behaviors. Design: We fit biometric sex limitation models to three aspects of sexual behavior reported by 4,925 Finnish twins ages 23-27. Main Outcome Measure: From a postal questionnaire, we obtained self-report information on initiation/abstinence of sexual intercourse, onset age, and number of sexual partners. Results: Genetic and non-shared environmental influences were significant for all three measures. There were trends for common environmental influences on initiation and, in females, age at first intercourse. Some differential effects in males and females were found. Results comparing onset age and number of partners among experienced twins from pairs concordant and discordant for initiation found genetic and environmental influences on initiation/abstinence overlapped those found for the other aspects of sexual behavior. Conclusions: These results document genetic variation in individual differences in sexual behavior of young adults. Incorporating genetic dispositions into integrated models of sexual behavior will facilitate more effective health promotion and risk taking intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic Effects on Women's Positive Mental Health: Do Marital Relationships and Social Support Matter?

Interpersonal relationships are important factors in mental health. A genetically sensitive design was used to examine associations among marital quality, adequacy of social support, and 2 aspects of positive mental health in a sample of 652 Swedish twin women and their families. There were 3 main findings. First, the covariance between relationships and positive mental health was partially accounted for by common genetic variance. Second, nonshared environmental influences played a substantial role in the covariance among the 3 constructs, with evidence for husbands being a source of this influence. Finally, different patterns of associations were found between relationships and 2 aspects of mental health, well-being and global self-worth, which shows how seemingly similar constructs can be differentially associated with relationships. Together, these findings emphasize the importance of genetically informed studies in family research and the role of the environment and interpersonal relationships in promoting and improving mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Culture, personality, and subjective well-being: Integrating process models of life satisfaction.

The authors examined the interplay of personality and cultural factors in the prediction of the affective (hedonic balance) and the cognitive (life satisfaction) components of subjective well-being (SWB). They predicted that the influence of personality on life satisfaction is mediated by hedonic balance and that the relation between hedonic balance and life satisfaction is moderated by culture. As a consequence, they predicted that the influence of personality on life satisfaction is also moderated by culture. Participants from 2 individualistic cultures (United States, Germany) and 3 collectivistic cultures (Japan, Mexico, Ghana) completed measures of Extraversion, Neuroticism, hedonic balance, and life satisfaction. As predicted, Extraversion and Neuroticism influenced hedonic balance to the same degree in all cultures, and hedonic balance was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction in individualistic than in collectivistic cultures. The influence of Extraversion and Neuroticism on life satisfaction was largely mediated by hedonic balance. The results suggest that the influence of personality on the emotional component of SWB is pancultural, whereas the influence of personality on the cognitive component of SWB is moderated by culture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using exercise to enhance subjective well-being among people with spinal cord injury: The mediating influences of stress and pain.

Purpose: To assess exercise as a strategy for reducing pain and improving subjective well-being (SWB) among people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design: Randomized controlled trial. Method and Participants: Thirty-four individuals with SCI. Exercisers performed aerobic and resistance training twice weekly, whereas wait-list controls maintained their usual level of activity. Results: Analyses of covariance indicated that after 3 months, exercisers reported less pain, depression, and stress, as well as greater perceived quality of life and better physical self-concept than controls (ps     

Genetic and shared environmental influences on adolescent BMI: interactions with race and sex

The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on variation in adolescent body mass index (BMI) and to determine whether the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors on variation in BMI are similar across racial groups and sexes. Data for the present study come from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add Health), a large, nationally representative study of adolescent health and health-related behaviors. The Add Health sample contains a subset of sibling pairs that differs in levels of genetic relatedness, making it well suited for behavioral genetics analyses. The present study examines whether genetic and environmental influences on adolescent BMI are the same for males and females and for Black and White adolescents. Results indicate that genetic factors contribute substantially to individual differences in adolescent BMI, explaining between 45 and 85% of the variance in BMI. Furthermore, based on an analysis of opposite-sex sibling pairs, the genes that influence variation in adolescent BMI are similar for males and females. However, the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on variation in BMI differs for males and females and for Blacks and Whites. Although parameter estimates could be constrained to be equal for Black and White males, they could not be constrained to be equal for Black and White females. Moreover, the best-fitting model for Black females was an ADE model, for White females it was an ACE model, and for males it was an AE model. Thus, shared environmental influences are significant for White female adolescents, but not for Black females or males. Likewise, nonadditive genetic influences are indicated for Black females, but not for White females or males. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Effects of Pain on Functioning and Well-Being in Older Adults With Osteoarthritis of the Knee.

The effects of pain on functioning and well-being were examined in 367 older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The relationship of OA-related pain to depressive symptoms and perceived health was hypothesized to be direct as well as mediated by physical and social functioning. Results showed that OA-related pain was related to poorer physical and social functioning, had a direct effect on depressive symptoms, and direct and indirect effects on perceived health. Lower social functioning was related to more depressive symptoms, and both lower social and physical functioning predicted worse perceived health. Thus, distinguishing between physical and social functioning when examining the costs of OA-related pain is useful. Moreover, existing pain-psychological well-being models can be generalized to perceived health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Low back pain problems among steelworkers

The associations between low-back pain and occupational work loads, life-style factors, and sociodemographic factors were examined in 469 steel plant workers (436 males, 33 females), mean age (sd): 40 (12) years. Fifty-one per cent had experienced low-back pain during the preceding year. The strongest associations were found between recent low-back pain and domestic recreational activities (> or = h/wk vs 0-2 h/wk), and between recent low-back pain and work pace (too fast vs. adequate), odds ratios (95% confidence limits) being respectively 3.0 (1.5-5.8), and 2.3 (1.2-4.2). We considered a subject to have a particularly severe history of low-back pain if he or she due to low-back trouble (i) had ever been admitted to a hospital, (ii) had ever had to change work or, (iii) had had more than one week's sick-leave accumulated during the preceding year. There was a strong association between a severe low-back pain history and life-time occupational exposure to heavy and frequent lifting on the job. Forty-seven per cent of severe low-back pain events could be ascribed to heavy and frequent lifting, provided the associations were causal. We conclude that domestic recreational activities may be an important potential confounder in studies on occupational risk factors for low-back pain, and that, based on the results of this and of other studies, a case for prevention still seems to exist regarding lifting of heavy burdens in the work environment.     

Perceived work conditions and work-related symptoms among employed Finns

The aim of the study was to determine the number and nature of perceived harmful work conditions and perceived work-related symptoms among employed Finns by sex and socioeconomic group. The associations between perceived harmful work conditions and perceived symptoms were also investigated. Knowledge of perceived work-related ill health can serve as a basis for health promotion at work. In a computer-assisted telephone interview of 2744 salaried employees and wage-earners, the respondents were asked about perceived harmful work conditions as well as perceived health complaints, and their relatedness to work. At least one harmful factor at work was reported by 94% of the respondents, and half of them reported more than three such factors. The most commonly occurring harmful factors were increased work pace, mental demand, repetitive movements, and noise. Of the symptoms perceived as work-related, musculoskeletal symptoms were the most common. They were reported by 44% of the respondents, followed by mental symptoms (26%), psychosomatic symptoms (19%), and respiratory or sensory symptoms (15%). Both the reporting of perceived harmful work factors and perceived work-related symptoms varied by socioeconomic group and sex. Perceived work-related musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with perceived ergonomic harmful work factors among both the men and the women, with physical or chemical work factors among the men, and with psychosocial or work organizational factors among the women. Perceived work-related respiratory symptoms were associated with perceived harmful physical or chemical work factors among both the men and the women, and both groups also reported mental and psychosomatic symptoms in relation to harmful psychosocial or organizational work factors. Among the women psychosomatic symptoms and harmful ergonomic work factors were also related. Perceived harmful factors at work and work-related symptoms are common among the work force. Even though the degree of work-related ill health was related to socioeconomic group, the reporting of particular symptoms indicated the probability of a particular work factor being considered harmful independently of socioeconomic group, although there was some relationship to sex. The implications for occupational health services are evident; employees' work-related symptoms can serve as an indicator of (preventable) perceived problems at work.     

"Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being": Comment on Diener, Lucas, and Scollon (2006).

Comments on the article by E. Diener, R. E. Lucas, and C. N. Scollon (see record 2006-05893-003) which cited a study by Tellegen et al. in which the Well-Being scale of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), administered to 44 pairs of monozygotic reared-apart (MZA) twins, yielded a within-pair correlation of .48. I contend that, in their subsequent proposed changes to subjective well-being (SWB) theory, Diener et al. failed to incorporate the implications of this heritability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The double meaning of control: Three-way interactions between internal resources, job control, and stressors at work.

The Job Demand-Control model postulates that job control attenuates the effects of job demands on health and well-being. Support for this interactive effect is rather weak. Conceivably, it holds only when there is a match between job control and individual characteristics that relate to exercising control options, such as locus of control, or self-efficacy. This three-way interaction was tested in a sample of 96 service employees, with affective strain and musculoskeletal pain as dependent variables. As hypothesized, job control attenuated the effects of stressors only for people with an internal locus of control. For people with an external locus of control, job control actually predicted poorer well-being and health as stressors increased. For self-efficacy, the corresponding three-way interaction was significant with regard to affective strain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetics, the Big Five, and the tendency to be self-employed.

We applied multivariate genetics techniques to a sample of 3,412 monozygotic and dizygotic twins from the United Kingdom and 1,300 monozygotic and dizygotic twins from the United States to examine whether genetic factors account for part of the covariance between the Big Five personality characteristics and the tendency to be an entrepreneur. We found that common genes influenced the phenotypic correlations between only Extraversion and Openness to Experience and the tendency to be an entrepreneur. Although the phenotypic correlations between the personality characteristics and the tendency to be an entrepreneur were small in size, genetic factors accounted for most of them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)