Country's well-being linked to lower mortality levels from chronic diseases: Study

A new study has proposed a threshold level of subjective well-being in a population that may be associated with lower mortality from chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

“We show that subjective well-being, or happiness, appears to act as a population health asset only after a threshold of approximately 2.7 on the Life Ladder scale is crossed,” said lead author Iulia Iuga, a researcher at 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia in Romania.

The scale asks individuals to evaluate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating the worst possible life and 10 the best.

Data from 123 countries gathered during 2006-2021 and sourced from health organisations, global development statistics, and public opinion polls were analysed for the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine.

The study "identified a single threshold at 2.7 Life-Ladder points".

A score of 2.7 can be found towards the lower end of the ladder, with people or countries finding themselves unhappy or struggling — "An adjective that fits this level could be 'barely coping'," said Iuga.

However, "above this level, each one per cent rise in happiness decreased non-communicable disease mortality by 0.43 per cent; below it, the effect was nil," the authors wrote.

The 0.43 per cent rate refers to the percentage of deaths due to chronic conditions among individuals aged between 30 and 70, they said.

Improvements in happiness begin to translate into measurable health benefits, the team said.

The study found that the average Life Ladder score across the countries analysed was 5.45, with the lowest recorded score at 2.18 and the highest at 7.97.

The governments can raise a country's score above 2.7 through promoting healthy living, such as by addressing obesity and tightening alcohol consumption.

Improving the environment through stricter air-quality standard and increasing per capita health spending were other suggestions by the authors.

"Public health strategies that elevate wellbeing above this tipping point-while concurrently addressing obesity, alcohol consumption, and environmental hazards-may initiate a reinforcing cycle of improved happiness and extended, healthier lifespans," they wrote.