Toward health promotion: physical and social behaviors in complete health.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of physical and social behaviors on "complete health."


METHODS
"Complete health" was constructed from measures of physical and mental health collected through the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS; n = 3032). Multinomial regression models examined the association of complete health with physical and social behaviors.


RESULTS
The odds of complete health were greatest among those who exercised, never smoked, attended church regularly, and had frequent contact with friends. Some "social" behaviors exerted effects comparable to "physical" behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions targeting social behaviors may yield similar gains to complete health as physical behaviors.
Grzywacz
Joseph G
JG
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1084, USA. grzywacz@wfubmc.edu
Keyes
Corey L M
CL
D000328:Adult; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012919:Social Behavior; D014481:United States