Abstract
Objectives The present cross-sectional study aimed to a) examine associations between measures of psychological well-being, specifically life satisfaction and life engagement, and intima media thickness, a subclinical marker of atherosclerosis; b) investigate if the interaction of psychological well-being and life events correlated with intima media thickness; and c) explore these relationships across race. Methods A sample of 485 women (38% African American and 62% white; mean [standard deviation] age = 50.2 [2.9] years) underwent ultrasonography to assess carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT). The women completed self-report measures of life satisfaction, life engagement, and life events. Results Average (standard deviation) IMT was 0.666 (0.10) mm. Life satisfaction showed a significant, independent, inverse relationship with IMT, after controlling for demographic, behavioral, psychological, and cardiovascular covariates (β =-0.105, p =.039), such that each 1-point higher life satisfaction score was correlated with a significant 0.008-mm lower level of mean IMT. No significant association was seen between life events and IMT (r = 0.05, p =.32), and life satisfaction did not interact with life events on IMT (β =-0.036, p =.46). No significant interaction between life satisfaction and race on IMT was observed (β = 0.068, p =.37). In contrast to life satisfaction, life engagement was not a significant correlate of IMT (r =-0.07, p =.12). Conclusions Life satisfaction, a measure of psychological well-being, is an important independent correlate of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged women.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 511-519 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Psychosomatic medicine |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1 2016 |
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Keywords
- atherosclerosis
- intima media thickness
- life satisfaction
- psychological well-being
- race
- women
Cite this
Associations of Psychological Well-Being with Carotid Intima Media Thickness in African American and White Middle-Aged Women. / Shahabi, Leila; Karavolos, Kelly; Everson-Rose, Susan A.; Lewis, Tené T.; Matthews, Karen A.; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Powell, Lynda H.
In: Psychosomatic medicine, Vol. 78, No. 4, 01.05.2016, p. 511-519.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations of Psychological Well-Being with Carotid Intima Media Thickness in African American and White Middle-Aged Women
AU - Shahabi, Leila
AU - Karavolos, Kelly
AU - Everson-Rose, Susan A.
AU - Lewis, Tené T.
AU - Matthews, Karen A.
AU - Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim
AU - Powell, Lynda H.
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - Objectives The present cross-sectional study aimed to a) examine associations between measures of psychological well-being, specifically life satisfaction and life engagement, and intima media thickness, a subclinical marker of atherosclerosis; b) investigate if the interaction of psychological well-being and life events correlated with intima media thickness; and c) explore these relationships across race. Methods A sample of 485 women (38% African American and 62% white; mean [standard deviation] age = 50.2 [2.9] years) underwent ultrasonography to assess carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT). The women completed self-report measures of life satisfaction, life engagement, and life events. Results Average (standard deviation) IMT was 0.666 (0.10) mm. Life satisfaction showed a significant, independent, inverse relationship with IMT, after controlling for demographic, behavioral, psychological, and cardiovascular covariates (β =-0.105, p =.039), such that each 1-point higher life satisfaction score was correlated with a significant 0.008-mm lower level of mean IMT. No significant association was seen between life events and IMT (r = 0.05, p =.32), and life satisfaction did not interact with life events on IMT (β =-0.036, p =.46). No significant interaction between life satisfaction and race on IMT was observed (β = 0.068, p =.37). In contrast to life satisfaction, life engagement was not a significant correlate of IMT (r =-0.07, p =.12). Conclusions Life satisfaction, a measure of psychological well-being, is an important independent correlate of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged women.
AB - Objectives The present cross-sectional study aimed to a) examine associations between measures of psychological well-being, specifically life satisfaction and life engagement, and intima media thickness, a subclinical marker of atherosclerosis; b) investigate if the interaction of psychological well-being and life events correlated with intima media thickness; and c) explore these relationships across race. Methods A sample of 485 women (38% African American and 62% white; mean [standard deviation] age = 50.2 [2.9] years) underwent ultrasonography to assess carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT). The women completed self-report measures of life satisfaction, life engagement, and life events. Results Average (standard deviation) IMT was 0.666 (0.10) mm. Life satisfaction showed a significant, independent, inverse relationship with IMT, after controlling for demographic, behavioral, psychological, and cardiovascular covariates (β =-0.105, p =.039), such that each 1-point higher life satisfaction score was correlated with a significant 0.008-mm lower level of mean IMT. No significant association was seen between life events and IMT (r = 0.05, p =.32), and life satisfaction did not interact with life events on IMT (β =-0.036, p =.46). No significant interaction between life satisfaction and race on IMT was observed (β = 0.068, p =.37). In contrast to life satisfaction, life engagement was not a significant correlate of IMT (r =-0.07, p =.12). Conclusions Life satisfaction, a measure of psychological well-being, is an important independent correlate of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged women.
KW - atherosclerosis
KW - intima media thickness
KW - life satisfaction
KW - psychological well-being
KW - race
KW - women
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84954357592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84954357592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000293
DO - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000293
M3 - Article
VL - 78
SP - 511
EP - 519
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
SN - 0033-3174
IS - 4
ER -