Life Span Changes in Affectivity and Influence of Gender, Health Self-rate, Morbidity, Memory and Mental Stress

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was (i) examine positive and negative affectivity, its rate of change, gender specificity and (ii) explore the association between health self-rating, number of chronic diseases, memory, and mental stress. Methods: Data obtained from the Longitudinal Study of Generation was used to assess participants in 3-year intervals from 1985 to 2000. Positive and negative affect along with health self-rating, morbidity, memory, mental stress were assessed. Results: A total of 2024 participants (aged 16-99 years; 57% Female) were considered for analysis. Linear growth models showed that both positive and negative affect decrease over generations. There was no difference between genders for positive affect; negative affect decreased in higher degree in females than in males. Health self-rates increased along the life span with no gender differences. Morbidity increased; memory did not change over generations in both genders. Mental stress didn’t change over generations, but was higher in females. Lower health self-rate was associated with higher negative affect and a deeper drop of positive affect later in life. Higher morbidity was associated with lower positive affect. Memory worsening was associated with a decrease of positive affect. Mental stress was a predictive factor for lower positive and higher negative affect. Conclusion: Possible unfavorable influence of decrease of positive affect with life progression is balanced with concomitant decrease of negative affect. Negative affect seems to be more independent from somatic morbidity than positive affect and has higher gender specificity by being lower in females.