TY - JOUR
T1 - Cynical hostility, socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and symptom load: a cross-sectional analysis in a Danish population-based study.
AU - Christensen, Ulla
AU - Lund, Rikke
AU - Damsgaard, Mogens Trab
AU - Holstein, Bjørn Evald
AU - Ditlevsen, Susanne
AU - Diderichsen, Finn
AU - Due, Pernille
AU - Iversen, Lars
AU - Lynch, John
N1 - Keywords: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Body Mass Index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Behavior; Health Status; Health Surveys; Hostility; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Personality Inventory; Postal Service; Questionnaires; Risk-Taking; Sampling Studies; Smoking; Social Class
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cross-sectional association between cynical hostility and high symptom load in a Danish population-based study. Furthermore, the aim was to investigate to what extent health risk behaviors mediated this association. METHODS: Data were based on a postal questionnaire in a Danish random sample of 3426 men and 3699 women aged 40 or 50 years. Cynical hostility was measured by the 8-item Cynical Distrust Scale. High symptom load was assessed by physiological and mental symptoms experienced within the last 4 weeks. Confounders were age and socioeconomic position, while potential mediators were alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and BMI. RESULTS: Higher cynical hostility was associated with self-reported symptom load. Health behaviors did not seem to mediate this effect. Socioeconomic position was a strong confounder for the effect on both health and health behaviors. After adjustment the effects of hostility on health remained with odds ratios of 2.1 (1.7-2.6) for women and 2.3 (1.8-2.8) for men.CONCLUSION: After adjustment for socioeconomic position, cynical hostility has an effect on self-reported high symptom load, and this effect is not mediated by health behaviors.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cross-sectional association between cynical hostility and high symptom load in a Danish population-based study. Furthermore, the aim was to investigate to what extent health risk behaviors mediated this association. METHODS: Data were based on a postal questionnaire in a Danish random sample of 3426 men and 3699 women aged 40 or 50 years. Cynical hostility was measured by the 8-item Cynical Distrust Scale. High symptom load was assessed by physiological and mental symptoms experienced within the last 4 weeks. Confounders were age and socioeconomic position, while potential mediators were alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and BMI. RESULTS: Higher cynical hostility was associated with self-reported symptom load. Health behaviors did not seem to mediate this effect. Socioeconomic position was a strong confounder for the effect on both health and health behaviors. After adjustment the effects of hostility on health remained with odds ratios of 2.1 (1.7-2.6) for women and 2.3 (1.8-2.8) for men.CONCLUSION: After adjustment for socioeconomic position, cynical hostility has an effect on self-reported high symptom load, and this effect is not mediated by health behaviors.
U2 - 10.1097/01.psy.0000126206.35683.d1
DO - 10.1097/01.psy.0000126206.35683.d1
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 15272105
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 66
SP - 572
EP - 577
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 4
ER -
