Who Benefits and How: Five Dimensions of Adolescent Psychological Well-Being and Their Relative Impact on Cardiometabolic Health in Adulthood

Abstract

PurposePositive dimensions of psychological well-being in adolescence may help youth preserve cardiometabolic health (CMH) as they age, but little is known about which aspects of well-being matter most and for whom. This study examines the differential impact of five dimensions of adolescent psychological well-being on CMH maintenance in adulthood and considers social patterning in both their distribution and respective health benefits. MethodsData were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 3,464), five dimensions of psychological well-being were identified at baseline (1994–1995; mean age = 15 years): happiness, optimism, self-esteem, belonging, and feeling loved. CMH was measured using seven biomarkers related to chronic disease risk in 2008 (mean age = 28 years) and 2016–2018 (mean age = 38 years): high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein, and body mass index. CMH maintenance in adulthood was characterized as having healthy levels of ≥6 biomarkers at each follow-up. ResultsYouth who reported higher levels of belonging in the teen years were more likely to maintain CMH across young adulthood than those who reported lower levels, regardless of one's social standing (ORper 1-standard deviation = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03–1.46). Associations with other dimensions of well-being were heterogeneous by sex and race and ethnicity, while differences by socioeconomic factors were less apparent. DiscussionFostering belonging through supportive social environments may help set youth on positive health trajectories and prevent chronic disease across the lifespan.