Stress, lifestyle, and quality of life in midlife and older Australian women: results from the Stress and the Health of Women Study.
BACKGROUND
Chronic psychological stress may pose a serious threat to health, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. This study examines the impact of stress on modifiable lifestyle factors, depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and chronic illness in older Australian women.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data were collected from a random sample of 181 older adults aged 60 to 70 years from rural and urban areas of South-East Queensland, Australia. We used structural equation modelling to examine associations between stress, modifiable lifestyle factors, HRQOL, and chronic illness.


RESULTS
Parameter estimates show that older women who reported life stressors where they felt helpless and feared for their life (high-magnitude stressors) also reported higher body mass index (p = .03) and more chronic illness (p < .01). In contrast, duration of exposure to life stressors was associated with higher depressive symptom scores (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; p = .02) and sleep disturbance scores (p < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the link between traumatic personal histories (exposure to high-magnitude stressors) and unhealthy lifestyle factors. Findings highlight the need for more research on how stress reduction, a healthy lifestyle, and positive coping strategies can be used to reduce the effects of high-magnitude stress on HRQOL and chronic illness.
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: c.seib@qut.edu.au.
Charrlotte
C
Seib
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia.
Eliza
E
Whiteside
School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Kathryn
K
Lee
School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California.
Janice
J
Humphreys
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia.
Tiet Hanh Dao
TH
Tran
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia.
Lisa
L
Chopin
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia.
Debra
D
Anderson
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008019:Life Style; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires