IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i9p5713-d1138800.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Subjective Happiness, Frequency of Laughter, and Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)

Author

Listed:
  • Fumikazu Hayashi

    (Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
    Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
    These authors contributed equally to the work.)

  • Yuka Shirai

    (Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
    These authors contributed equally to the work.)

  • Tetsuya Ohira

    (Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
    Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan)

  • Kokoro Shirai

    (Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan)

  • Naoki Kondo

    (Department of Social Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan)

  • Katsunori Kondo

    (Department of Social Preventive Medical Sciences, Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
    Department of Gerontological Evaluation, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Ohbu 474-8511, Japan)

Abstract

In recent years, positive psychological factors, such as subjective happiness and laughter, have been reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease. In this study, we examined the relationship of hypertension with subjective happiness and frequency of laughter using the data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Of the 138,294 respondents, 26,368 responded to a version of the self-administered questionnaire that included a question about the frequency of laughter in the JAGES 2013. In total, 22,503 (10,571 men and 11,932 women) were included in the analysis after excluding those with missing responses regarding a history of hypertension, frequency of laughter, and subjective happiness. The prevalence of hypertension in this study was 10,364 (46.1%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, female sex, obesity, infrequent chewing, former and current drinker, seeing three to five friends, and the absence of hobbies were positively associated with hypertension. However, infrequent laughter/high level of subjective happiness, frequent laughter/high level of subjective happiness, being underweight, and current smoker were negatively associated with hypertension. As per the findings of this study, it was determined that subjective happiness was negatively associated with hypertension. Therefore, this study suggests that having more opportunities to feel happiness may be important in preventing hypertension.

Suggested Citation

  • Fumikazu Hayashi & Yuka Shirai & Tetsuya Ohira & Kokoro Shirai & Naoki Kondo & Katsunori Kondo, 2023. "Subjective Happiness, Frequency of Laughter, and Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-12, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:9:p:5713-:d:1138800
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/9/5713/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/9/5713/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sonja Lyubomirsky & Heidi Lepper, 1999. "A Measure of Subjective Happiness: Preliminary Reliability and Construct Validation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 137-155, February.
    2. Fu, Rong & Noguchi, Harkuo & Tachikawa, Hirokazu & Aiba, Miyuki & Nakamine, Shin & Kawamura, Akira & Takahashi, Hideto & Tamiya, Nanako, 2017. "Relation between social network and psychological distress among middle-aged adults in Japan: Evidence from a national longitudinal survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 58-65.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. GOROVEI Alina-Alexandra, 2020. "Does Work Make You Happy? Job Satisfaction And Happiness In The Modern World," Revista Economica, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 72(1), pages 76-86, April.
    2. Leiv Gabrielsen & Pål Ulleberg & Reidulf Watten, 2012. "The Adolescent Life Goal Profile Scale: Development of a New Scale for Measurements of Life Goals Among Young People," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(6), pages 1053-1072, December.
    3. Zhang, Jing & Chen, Mingliang & Xie, Zhaohan & Zhuang, Jingyi, 2022. "Don't fall into exquisite poverty: The impact of mismatch between consumers and luxury brands on happiness," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 298-309.
    4. Xiangdan Piao, 2021. "Marriage Stability and Private Versus Shared Expenditures Within Families: Evidence from Japanese Families," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 533-559, January.
    5. Robert Weech-Maldonado & Michael J. Miller & Justin C. Lord, 2017. "The Relationships among Socio-Demographics, Perceived Health, and Happiness," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 289-302, June.
    6. Torshizian, Eilya & Mehrara, Mohsen, 2011. "The effects of Economy, Values and Health on Happiness In Iran: the case of the Kish Island," MPRA Paper 30085, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Apr 2011.
    7. Dan K. Hsu & Johan Wiklund & Richard D. Cotton, 2017. "Success, Failure, and Entrepreneurial Reentry: An Experimental Assessment of the Veracity of Self–Efficacy and Prospect Theory," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(1), pages 19-47, January.
    8. Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara & Juhani Lehto, 2013. "Social Factors Explaining Children’s Subjective Happiness and Depressive Symptoms," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 603-615, April.
    9. Brandon M. Turner & Hye Bin Rim & Nancy E. Betz & Thomas E. Nygren, 2012. "The Maximization Inventory," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 7(1), pages 48-60, January.
    10. Coupe, Tom & Obrizan, Maksym, 2016. "The impact of war on happiness: The case of Ukraine," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 132(PA), pages 228-242.
    11. Rogie Royce Carandang & Akira Shibanuma & Edward Asis & Dominga Carolina Chavez & Maria Teresa Tuliao & Masamine Jimba, 2020. "“Are Filipinos Aging Well?”: Determinants of Subjective Well-Being among Senior Citizens of the Community-Based ENGAGE Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-13, October.
    12. O. Kjell & D. Daukantaitė & K. Hefferon & S. Sikström, 2016. "The Harmony in Life Scale Complements the Satisfaction with Life Scale: Expanding the Conceptualization of the Cognitive Component of Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 893-919, March.
    13. Joey Man Yee KWOK & Douglas Kei Shing NG, 2016. "A Study of the Perceived Stress Level of University Students in Hong Kong," International Journal of Psychological Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(4), pages 1-91, December.
    14. Jadie Allen & Mark Holder, 2014. "Marijuana Use and Well-Being in University Students," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 301-321, April.
    15. Lange, Florian & Dewitte, Siegfried, 2020. "Positive affect and pro-environmental behavior: A preregistered experiment," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    16. Alison Pritchard & Miles Richardson & David Sheffield & Kirsten McEwan, 2020. "The Relationship Between Nature Connectedness and Eudaimonic Well-Being: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 1145-1167, March.
    17. Prus, Steven G., 2011. "Comparing social determinants of self-rated health across the United States and Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 50-59, July.
    18. Mostafa E. Shahen & Shibly Shahrier & Koji Kotani, 2019. "Happiness, Generativity and Social Preferences in a Developing Country: A Possibility of Future Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-17, September.
    19. Paola Manfredi, 2022. "Is This All COVID-19′s Fault? A Study on Trainees in One of the Most Affected Italian Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.
    20. Zorana Ivcevic & Catherine Eggers, 2021. "Emotion Regulation Ability: Test Performance and Observer Reports in Predicting Relationship, Achievement and Well-Being Outcomes in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-15, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:9:p:5713-:d:1138800. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.