Behavioral and Lifestyle Patterns on Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life

The purpose of the present study is to examine lifestyle choices (i.e., dietary intake, tobacco and alcohol use, and physical activity) on subjective well-being (i.e., happiness) and quality of life. While genetic predisposition and environmental factors affect health outcomes, lifestyle characteristics such as unhealthy diet, smoking, and physical activity are the leading causes of high morbidity and mortality rates in the U.S. and worldwide.

This study is part of a larger project funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The total sample consists of 2423 students from a large public university in Southern California who completed a self-reported questionnaire. Of the total sample, 697 of the participants completed the daily food log via online survey for seven days.

Preliminary results of multivariate tests showed that lifestyle choices were associated with happiness and quality of life. Behavioral factors that significantly predicted happiness were healthy diet, cigarette smoking, and vigorous physical activity. Factors that significantly predicted quality of life were cigarette smoking and vigorous physical activity.

Literature shows that subjective rating of health is a robust measure that is highly correlated with actual somatic and mental health. The importance of maintaining healthy lifestyle choices and implications for health promotion programs are discussed.