Optimism and risk of mortality among African-Americans: The Jackson heart study.

Lee HH, Kubzansky LD, Okuzono SS, Trudel-Fitzgerald C, James P, Koga HK, Kim ES, Glover LM, Sims M, Grodstein F

Preventive medicine · January 1, 2022

Optimism is associated with reduced mortality risk among Whites, but evidence for this relationship is limited among African-Americans. Data were from African-American women (n = 2652) and men (n = 1444) in the Jackson Heart Study. Higher optimism was related to lower mortality rates (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74, 0.99), controlling for sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms. After further adjusting for health conditions and health behaviors, associations were slightly attenuated (HR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.77, 1.02). Stronger associations between optimism and mortality were observed in men, among those with higher income or education, and with age ≤ 55.

PMID: 34863812 · DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106899