Healthy living does not reduce life satisfaction among physically handicapped persons.
Smoking, drinking, over-eating and sedentary living may be regarded as ways of compensating for losses inflicted by physical handicaps. Therefore, promoting healthy life-styles among physically handicapped persons may amount to reducing their life satisfaction. This article examines the life-style and life satisfaction of all self-reported somatically handicapped respondents 25-50 years of age in a mid-Norwegian county. Persons with physical handicaps had more unhealthy habits than the general population. But life-style was not related to degree of physical handicap. And quality of life among the physically handicapped was not associated with life-style. Efforts to promote healthy living may not threaten the quality of life of physically handicapped persons.
Hofoss
Dag
D
Foundation for Health Services Research, PO Box 55, N-1474, Nordbyhagen, Norway. dhofoss@heltef.no
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009664:Norway; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires