Association even stronger for accumulation of healthy behaviors over time<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, April 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Risky health behaviors, both current and cumulatively over time, are associated with poorer mental well-being and self-reported health, according to a study published online April 24 in the Annals of Medicine<\/em>.<\/p>\n Tiia Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen, Ph.D., from University of Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4 in Finland, and colleagues examined cumulative associations of risky health behaviors with mental well-being and health from age 36 onward. The analysis included participants (from the 1959 birth cohort) in the Jyv\u00e4skyl\u00e4 Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development.<\/p>\n The researchers found that more current risky behaviors were associated with more depressive symptoms (B = 0.10), lower psychological well-being (B = \u22120.10), lower self-rated health (B = \u22120.45), and more metabolic risk factors (B = 0.53). There were even stronger associations for temporal risk scores (depressive symptoms: B = 0.38; psychological well-being: B = \u22120.15; self-rated health: B = \u22120.82; metabolic risk factors: B = 1.49). Among temporal risk scores, alcohol consumption was negatively associated with most outcomes, smoking was associated with poorer mental well-being, and physical inactivity was associated with poorer health.<\/p>\n “The current and temporal accumulation of multiple risky health behaviors were associated with poorer mental well-being and health,” the authors write. “Preventing these behaviors early in adulthood and midlife is crucial to avoid their accumulation and subsequent health risks.”<\/p>\n