The Relationship between Personal Values and Happiness
Here is a content study that investigates the relationship between personal values that are formed at an early age, as they may influence future health status.
The purpose of this study was to
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between personal values in adolescence and biological indicators associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. The longitudinal data used came from the Japanese Study of Stratification, Health, Income, and Neighborhood (J-SHINE), and adolescent personal values were retrospectively obtained in 2017 from a self-report questionnaire consisting of value priorities and commitment to values. Venous samples were collected in 2012 for low-density and high-density lipoprotein (LDL, HDL) cholesterol and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).
Body mass index (BMI), girth, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were also measured. The association of each variable was examined by partial correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses were further performed to examine the overall association between individual values and the sum of standardized scores of biomarkers (Z-scores) as a proxy for MetS.
Results.
Based on a sample of 261 men and 407 women, we found that
For men, the personal value priority of "making an impact on society" was associated with high HDL cholesterol and "taking care of those close to me" with low waist circumference and low SBP.
For women, the personal value priority of "not bothering others" was associated with high SBP and low DBP.
For the value of "being financially successful," it was associated with poor health outcomes for men.
Sasaki, N., Watanabe, K. & Kawakami, N. Personal values in adolescence and their associations with metabolic biomarkers in adulthood: a Japanese BioPsychoSocial Med 14, 26 (2020). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13030-020-00197-5
Summary
This study was based on the question, "Do beliefs acquired in childhood affect future obesity, blood pressure, and serum composition? The results suggest that beliefs such as influencing society, caring for those close to you, and not bothering others have a positive effect on health.
It was concluded that socially accepted beliefs were not wrong, because it was found that beliefs about financial success had a negative impact on health, but it seems that such beliefs are changing in the current situation.
Rather than influencing society, beliefs about one's own well-being, equal rights and life for men and women, and freedom are being repeated more and more.It is often said that people who have achieved social success put the highest priority on influencing others, and that the financial rewards came later. However, with the media and social networking sites boasting about our lives, the tendency to prioritize material well-being may change the beliefs we acquire in childhood to prioritize economics.
It may sound like a beautiful thing to be useful to others, but if such beliefs affect one's own health, it may be enough to be a beautiful belief.
