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Meaning in Life and Health: Proactive Health Orientation Links Meaning in Life to Health Variables Among American Undergraduates

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  • Michael Steger
  • Arissa Fitch-Martin
  • Jena Donnelly
  • Kathryn Rickard

Abstract

Mounting research has demonstrated relationships between meaning in life (MIL) and a wide range of health-relevant outcomes, including health symptoms, health-promoting behaviors, health-risking behaviors, cognitive decline, and mortality. Despite these provocative results, there have been few efforts to explain why meaning and health should be linked. It is proposed that meaning supports a more positive health orientation among people, which in turn is related to more positive health behaviors and health. This model was tested using structural path analysis in a healthy, but health-risk-prone, sample of 571 undergraduate students, focusing on health criterion variables of health symptoms, attitudes toward condom use, and substance abuse. Two aspects of health orientation, proactive health orientation and health information discounting, were assessed. Direct relationships were observed between MIL and health criterion variables, as well as indirect relationships carried by combinations of both health orientations. In a generally healthy, health-risk-prone sample, MIL was beneficially related to health symptoms, risky condom attitudes, and substance use. Proactive health orientation and health information discounting statistically explained some of these relationships, suggesting new avenues for intervening to promote healthy lifestyle factors and prevent adverse health outcomes. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Steger & Arissa Fitch-Martin & Jena Donnelly & Kathryn Rickard, 2015. "Meaning in Life and Health: Proactive Health Orientation Links Meaning in Life to Health Variables Among American Undergraduates," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 583-597, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:16:y:2015:i:3:p:583-597
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-014-9523-6
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    1. Ying Li & Yihan Jin & Huiyan Kong & Chao Feng & Lei Cao & Tiantian Li & Yue Wang, 2023. "The Relationship between Meaning in Life and Depression among Chinese Junior High School Students: The Mediating and Moderating Effects of Cognitive Failures and Mindfulness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Małgorzata Szcześniak & Andrzej Potemkowski & Waldemar Brola & Zdzisław Kroplewski & Roman Ryszard Szałachowski & Marek Zak & Maciej Wilski & Piotr Sobolewski & Halina Bartosik-Psujek & Katarzyna Kapi, 2022. "The Big Five Personality Traits and Positive Orientation in Polish Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Meaning in Life," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-15, April.
    3. Zhang, Shuyue & Fu, Ya-Nan & Liu, Qun & Turel, Ofir & He, Qinghua, 2022. "Psychological capital mediates the influence of meaning in life on prosocial behavior of university students: A longitudinal study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Jie Wen & Miao Miao, 2022. "Relationships Between Meaning in Life, Positive and Negative Affect, and Eating Behaviors: A Daily Diary Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 1315-1331, April.
    5. Teniell L. Trolian & Elizabeth A. Jach, 2022. "Applied Learning and Students’ Well-Being in Higher Education," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(3), pages 1269-1286, June.
    6. Volker Gehrau & Sam Fujarski & Hannah Lorenz & Carla Schieb & Bernd Blöbaum, 2021. "The Impact of Health Information Exposure and Source Credibility on COVID-19 Vaccination Intention in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-12, April.
    7. Marcin Wnuk, 2022. "The Beneficial Role of Involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous for Existential and Subjective Well-Being of Alcohol-Dependent Individuals? The Model Verification," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.

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