Stressful life events, social support, and mortality in men born in 1933.
OBJECTIVE
To examine relations between stressful life events and mortality in middle aged men.


METHODS
Prospective population study. Data on stressful life events, social network, occupation, and other psychosocial factors derived from self administered questionnaires. Mortality data obtained from official registers.


METHODS
City of Gothenburg, Sweden.


METHODS
752 men from a random population sample of 1016 men aged 50.


METHODS
Mortality from all causes during seven years' follow up.


RESULTS
Life events which had occurred in the year before the baseline examination were significantly associated with mortality from all causes during seven years' follow up. Of the men who had experienced three or more events during the past year 10.9% had died compared with 3.3% among those with no life events (odds ratio 3.6; 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 8.5). The association between recent life events and mortality remained true after smoking, self perceived health, occupational class, and indices of social support were controlled for. Many of the deaths were alcohol related, but the number of deaths was too small to allow for analyses of specific causes of death. The association between life events and mortality was evident only in men with low emotional support.


CONCLUSIONS
Stressful life events are associated with high mortality in middle aged men. Men with adequate emotional support seem to be protected.
Rosengren
A
A
Department of Medicine, Ostra Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Orth-Gomér
K
K
Wedel
H
H
Wilhelmsen
L
L
D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D012923:Social Class; D012944:Social Support; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology