In a paper recently publised in PLoS One entitled Promoting functional health in midlife and old age: long-term protective effects of control beliefs, social support, and physical exercise, Margie Lachman, Minnie and Harold Fierman Professor of Psychology, and Brandeis postdoc Stefan Agrigoroaei analyzed data from MIDUS, a national longitudinal study of “Midlife in the US”. Controlling for other risks, the authors found significant positive contributions from three additional factors in the functional health outcome in these older adults:
- Control beliefs (the perception that one can influence what happens in one’s life)
- Social support (feeling support, not strain, in relationships with family, friends, and spouse)
- Physical exercise
Since I’ll be healthier if I believe I can control my health this way, why not give it a try? The popular press is also picking up on these ideas.
