Health Consciousness As a Predictor of Life Satisfaction in Latino Men and Women

Introduction:  This study is guided by the research question, “Among Latinos, what are the major psychological and behavioral health indicators that determine Life Satisfaction?”  A healthy diet and regular physical activity are established preventive behaviors that contribute to the decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (Khare et al., 2014; DHHS, 2008). Life Satisfaction constitutes an important indicator of quality of life involving both psychological and physical well-being (Lightsey et al., 2013). Crespo and collaborators (2000) have indicated that more research is needed on the social determinants of physical activity and other health-related risk factors for chronic disease among Latinos.  Thus, the present study examined the relationship between health behaviors (e.g., diet and exercise) and health consciousness (e.g., attention to health) as determinants of Life Satisfaction within Latinos.

Methods:  Eighty-seven Latino males and females were purposively sampled to examine various aspects of resilience and well-being, including measures of health consciousness and weekly frequencies of specific health behaviors. Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews using a concurrent QUAL+QUAN mixed methods research design.  We hypothesized (H₁) that measures of health consciousness among Latinos (i.e., health motivation, attention to health, planning ahead, intentions to improve health, and responsibility for own health) would be positively associated with Life Satisfaction (α= .820).  We also hypothesized (H₂) that dietary and exercise health behaviors (i.e. weekly frequency of healthy eating, unhealthy eating, exercise, and rest and relaxation) would also operate as predictors of Life Satisfaction. 

Results:  These two hypotheses were examined in a planned hierarchical regression model analysis. In step 1, health consciousness was statistically significant; F (5, 81) = 4.80, p = .001, R² = .229. Responsibility for staying healthy contributed to predicting Life Satisfaction; β = .308, p = .007. In step 2, dietary and exercise health behaviors were not statistically significant; p= .188.

Conclusion: Our hypotheses were partially supported. The findings indicated that responsibility for staying healthy is an important predictor of Life Satisfaction. People who take greater initiative in maintaining and adopting healthy behaviors are more likely to accomplish their health goals, and consequently have higher Life Satisfaction (Bandura, 1977). Importantly, this study suggests that health consciousness is a key construct to consider for health promotion and disease prevention. These findings may aid in the development of health interventions that aim to reduce health disparities for Latino men and women.