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Cynical hostility, socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and symptom load: a cross-sectional analysis in a Danish
Ulla Christensen1, Rikke Lund, Mogens Trab Damsgaard
1Department of Social Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute, Blegdamsvej 3, DK 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. U.Christensen@socmed.ku.dk
Objective:
To analyze the cross-sectional association between cynical hostility and high symptom load in a Danish population-based study. Furthermore, the aim was to investigate to what extent health risk behaviors mediated this association.
Methods:
Data were based on a postal questionnaire in a Danish random sample of 3426 men and 3699 women aged 40 or 50 years. Cynical hostility was measured by the 8-item Cynical Distrust Scale. High symptom load was assessed by physiological and mental symptoms experienced within the last 4 weeks. Confounders were age and socioeconomic position, while potential mediators were alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, and BMI.
Results:
Higher cynical hostility was associated with self-reported symptom load. Health behaviors did not seem to mediate this effect. Socioeconomic position was a strong confounder for the effect on both health and health behaviors. After adjustment the effects of hostility on health remained with odds ratios of 2.1 (1.7-2.6) for women and 2.3 (1.8-2.8) for men.
Conclusion:
After adjustment for socioeconomic position, cynical hostility has an effect on self-reported high symptom load, and this effect is not mediated by health behaviors.
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