Associations of health risk factors and chronic illnesses with life dissatisfaction among U.S. adults: the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2006.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence of life dissatisfaction and assess its associations with health risk factors and chronic illnesses in adults.


METHODS
Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2006 (n=341,140) were analyzed. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression analyses.


RESULTS
The prevalence of life dissatisfaction was estimated to be 5.0% among adults. People with one, two, and three health risk factors were, respectively, 2.2 (95% CI: 2.0-2.5), 3.7 (95% CI: 3.2-4.2), and 5.8 (95% CI: 4.6-7.4) times more likely to report life dissatisfaction than those without (P<0.0001 for linear trend). People with one, two, and three or more chronic illnesses were, respectively, 1.8 (95% CI: 1.7-2.0), 3.6 (95% CI: 3.2-4.0), and 5.0 (95% CI: 4.4-5.7) times more likely to report life dissatisfaction than those without (P<0.0001). After adjustment for self-rated health and other potential confounding variables, the associations were attenuated but remained significant for the number of health risk factors (P<0.0001 for linear trend) and the number of chronic illnesses (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Clustering of health risk factors or chronic illnesses was associated with life dissatisfaction independently of self-rated health and other established correlates.
Li
Chaoyang
C
Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS K66, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. cli@cdc.gov
Ford
Earl S
ES
Zhao
Guixiang
G
Mokdad
Ali H
AH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult