Child psychological well-being and adult health behavior and body mass index.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Psychological well-being (PWB) is linked with health behaviors among adults, but it is unclear if childhood PWB prospectively predicts healthy adulthood biobehavioral profiles. Such evidence may identify developmental windows for establishing positive health trajectories across the lifespan. Using data spanning 30 years, we investigated whether PWB at age 11 was associated with health behaviors and body mass index (BMI) at ages 33 and 42. We hypothesized children with higher versus lower PWB would engage in healthier behaviors, have lower BMI in adulthood, and be more likely to maintain optimal levels over time.

Method

Data were from 4,728 participants of the 1958 National Child Development Study. At age 11, participants wrote an essay about how they imagined their

SUBMITTER: Boehm JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10859220 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature