Background Health behaviours such as physical activity, sedentary behaviour, nutrition, sleep, alcohol consumption, and smoking are modifiable determinants of life satisfaction – an essential outcome for healthy ageing and well-being. We explored the longitudinal association between these health behaviours and life satisfaction among older adults in Canada. Methods The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, focusing on 11,215 adults aged 65 years and older at baseline, with follow-ups 1 and 2 at three-year intervals. Data were analysed using linear mixed-effects growth curve models, stratified by gender, with health behaviours decomposed into within- and between-person components. Results At baseline, the participants’ mean (SD) age was 72.94 (5.64) years, and 54.2% were women. Women had lower life satisfaction than men across waves, but the difference was trivial (B=-0.24, p = 0.035, predicted difference [pd]=-0.24 points, effect size [d]=-0.04). Men showed a decline in life satisfaction over time, though the effect size was small (B=-0.09, p = 0.004, pd=-0.54 points, d=-0.09). Within-person analyses showed that higher alcohol use relative to one’s usual pattern was associated with lower life satisfaction (B=-0.23, p = 0.037, pd=-0.92 points, d=-0.15), especially among men, with an appreciable effect size (B=-0.35, p = 0.024, pd=-1.40 points, d=-0.24). In contrast, improvements in nutritional risk (B = 0.04, p < 0.001, pd = 0.24 points, d = 0.04) and sleep duration (B = 0.22, p < 0.001, pd = 0.32 points, d = 0.05) were associated with negligible concurrent increases in life satisfaction. At the between-person level, higher average physical activity across the waves was associated with slightly higher life satisfaction (B = 0.01, p = 0.004, pd = 0.58 points, d = 0.10), particularly among men (B = 0.01, p < 0.001, pd = 0.58 points, d = 0.10), whereas higher average sedentary time was weakly associated with lower life satisfaction (B=-0.04, p < 0.001, pd=-0.33 points, d=-0.06). Lower average nutritional risk (B = 0.20, p < 0.001, pd = 1.22 points, d = 0.21) and higher average sleep duration (B = 0.35, p < 0.001, pd = 0.51 points, d = 0.09) were associated with higher life satisfaction, with nutrition showing a modest effect size. Conclusions The findings demonstrate that behavioural changes and sustained health behaviours are associated with differences in older adults’ life satisfaction, with gender-specific patterns, providing actionable evidence for individuals, healthcare practitioners, and policymakers to promote healthy behaviours.

Gender-disaggregated longitudinal associations between health behaviours and life satisfaction in community-dwelling older adults: a six-year growth curve analysis of the CLSA

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2026年7月21日

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Chiedozie James Alumona,
Ogochukwu Kelechi Onyeso,
Adesola C. Odole,
Laura Vogelsang,
Jerome Singleton,
Oluwagbohunmi Adetunji Awosoga

摘要

Background

Health behaviours such as physical activity, sedentary behaviour, nutrition, sleep, alcohol consumption, and smoking are modifiable determinants of life satisfaction – an essential outcome for healthy ageing and well-being. We explored the longitudinal association between these health behaviours and life satisfaction among older adults in Canada.

Methods

The study was a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, focusing on 11,215 adults aged 65 years and older at baseline, with follow-ups 1 and 2 at three-year intervals. Data were analysed using linear mixed-effects growth curve models, stratified by gender, with health behaviours decomposed into within- and between-person components.

Results

At baseline, the participants’ mean (SD) age was 72.94 (5.64) years, and 54.2% were women. Women had lower life satisfaction than men across waves, but the difference was trivial (B=-0.24, p = 0.035, predicted difference [pd]=-0.24 points, effect size [d]=-0.04). Men showed a decline in life satisfaction over time, though the effect size was small (B=-0.09, p = 0.004, pd=-0.54 points, d=-0.09). Within-person analyses showed that higher alcohol use relative to one’s usual pattern was associated with lower life satisfaction (B=-0.23, p = 0.037, pd=-0.92 points, d=-0.15), especially among men, with an appreciable effect size (B=-0.35, p = 0.024, pd=-1.40 points, d=-0.24). In contrast, improvements in nutritional risk (B = 0.04, p < 0.001, pd = 0.24 points, d = 0.04) and sleep duration (B = 0.22, p < 0.001, pd = 0.32 points, d = 0.05) were associated with negligible concurrent increases in life satisfaction. At the between-person level, higher average physical activity across the waves was associated with slightly higher life satisfaction (B = 0.01, p = 0.004, pd = 0.58 points, d = 0.10), particularly among men (B = 0.01, p < 0.001, pd = 0.58 points, d = 0.10), whereas higher average sedentary time was weakly associated with lower life satisfaction (B=-0.04, p < 0.001, pd=-0.33 points, d=-0.06). Lower average nutritional risk (B = 0.20, p < 0.001, pd = 1.22 points, d = 0.21) and higher average sleep duration (B = 0.35, p < 0.001, pd = 0.51 points, d = 0.09) were associated with higher life satisfaction, with nutrition showing a modest effect size.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate that behavioural changes and sustained health behaviours are associated with differences in older adults’ life satisfaction, with gender-specific patterns, providing actionable evidence for individuals, healthcare practitioners, and policymakers to promote healthy behaviours.