Journal
JOURNAL OF HAPPINESS STUDIES
Volume 24, Issue 2, Pages 629-650Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10902-022-00613-3
Keywords
Subjective well-being; Life domains; Dementia; Alzheimer's disease; Vascular dementia
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This study examined the associations between subjective well-being and risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia. The results showed that general happiness, health and family satisfaction, and satisfaction breadth were associated with lower risk of all-cause dementia. Health satisfaction and the breadth of satisfaction were also associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.
This study aimed to examine the associations between subjective well-being (SWB) and risk of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VD). We adopted a multidimensional approach to SWB that included the level and breadth of SWB, the latter indicating the extent to which SWB spreads across life domains. Participants (N = 171,197; mean age = 56.78; SD = 8.16 years) were part of the UK Biobank and were followed up to 8.78 years. Domain-general and domain-specific SWB were measured by single items, and the breadth of SWB was indexed with a cumulative score of satisfaction across domains. Dementia incidence was ascertained through hospital and death records. Cox regression was used to examine the association between SWB indicators and risk of all-cause dementia, AD, and VD. General happiness, health and family satisfaction, and satisfaction breadth (satisfaction in multiple domains) were associated with lower risk of all-cause dementia. The associations held after accounting for socio-demographics, health, behavioral, and economic covariates, and depressive symptoms. Health satisfaction and the breadth of satisfaction were also associated with lower risk of AD and VD, with a pattern of slightly stronger associations for VD compared to AD. Some life domains (e.g., health) may be more fruitfully targeted to promote well-being and help protect against dementia, but it is also important to enhance well-being across multiple domains to maximize the protective effects.
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