The Effect of Emotional Experiences on Biological Aging

Article information

Korean J Health Promot. 2018;18(4):147-158

Publication date (electronic) : 2018 January 10

doi : https://doi.org/10.15384/kjhp.2018.18.4.147

Department of Family Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea

￭ Corresponding author: Jong Sung Kim, MD, PhD Department of Family Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, 282 Munhwa-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea Tel: +82-42-280-7548, Fax: +82-42-280-7879 E-mail: jskim@cnuh.co.kr

Received 2018 August 29; Revised 2018 December 20; Accepted 2018 December 21.

Abstract

Background

This study was designed to investigate the effects of usual negative emotional experiences on biological aging progression of human.

Methods

A total of 237 subjects who visited the Health Promotion Center at Chungnam National University Hospital from May 2013 through September 2013 was enrolled. Each subject had been drawn up a structured questionnaire about usual experiences of depression, anxiety, anger, and anger expression. The degree of biological aging progression of each subject was computed by a specific formula which consisted of chronological age and biological age reflecting obesity and aging of main organs.

Results

Trait anger and low education level showed the significant correlations with biological aging (r=0.160, P=0.014, and r=-0.189, P=0.024, respectively). Trait anger and low education level solely displayed the significant R²s for biological aging in consequence of multivariate analyses; R²=0.044, P=0.020, and R²=0.022, P=0.038, respectively.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the significant relationship between usual anger experience (i.e., trait anger) and biological aging would be present. In addition, lower education level may be related with biological aging.

Keywords: Aging; Anger; Education

Table 1.

General characteristics and emotional experiences

Table 2.

The relationships among general characteristics, emotional experiences, and biological aging^a

Table 3.

Subgroup analysis on relationships among general characteristics, emotional experiences and biological aging^a

Table 4.

Coefficients of determination of general characteristics and emotional experiences for the biological aging^a

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Table 1.

General characteristics and emotional experiences

Characteristic	Value
Sex
Male	126 (53.2)
Female	111 (46.8)
Age, y	52.8±10.8
BMI	24.0±3.3
Education level
<Elementary school	3 (1.3)
Elementary school	26 (11.0)
Middle school	36 (15.2)
High school	58 (24.5)
≥College or university	114 (48.1)
Monthly household gross income (10⁶ won)
<1	27 (11.4)
1≤ N <3	63 (26.6)
3≤ N <5	69 (29.1)
≥5	78 (32.9)
Faith level
No or little	88 (37.1)
A little	72 (30.4)
Moderate	25 (10.5)
A lot	24 (10.1)
Smoking
Non-smoker	146 (61.6)
Past smoker	46 (19.4)
Present smoker	45 (19.0)
Weekly exercise, min	92.9±138.4
Weekly alcohol use (standard drink^a)	5.3±11.0
Family function index	6.4±2.4
Trait depression	20.7±5.2
Trait anxiety	41.3±9.5
Trait anger	19.9±5.3
Anger expression	48.1±7.1

Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index. Values are presented as number (%) or mean±standard deviation.

A standard drink=alcohol 14 g.

Table 2.

The relationships among general characteristics, emotional experiences, and biological aging^a

Variable	r	P
Age	–0.054	0.404
Education level^b	–0.189	0.024
Monthly household gross income^b	–0.123	0.424
Faith level^b	0.018	0.612
Weekly exercise	–0.110	0.066
Weekly alcohol use	–0.005	0.944
Family function index	0.024	0.711
Trait depression	–0.026	0.689
Trait anxiety	0.053	0.414
Trait anger	0.160	0.014
Anger expression	0.015	0.816

All variables were calculated by Pearson correlation analyses.

Biological aging (%)={(biological age-chronological age)/chrono-logical age}×100.

Converted into dummy variables.

Table 3.

Subgroup analysis on relationships among general characteristics, emotional experiences and biological aging^a

Variable	r	P
Education level^b	–0.189	0.024
Sex
Male	–0.152	0.101
Female	–0.143	0.120
Age		0.072
30's	–0.121	0.470
40's	0.014	0.929
50's	–0.290	0.010
60's	0.089	0.468
70's	–	–
Trait anger^b	0.160	0.014
Sex
Male	0.152	0.101
Female	0.133	0.146
Age
30's	0.383	0.018
40's	0.128	0.409
50's	0.174	0.130
60's	–0.067	0.583
70's	0.404	0.281

Biological aging (%)={(biological age-chronological age)/chrono-logical age}×100.

Calculated by Pearson correlation analyses.

Table 4.

Coefficients of determination of general characteristics and emotional experiences for the biological aging^a

Predictor	R²	ΔR²	Adjusted R²	β	Standard error	Beta	P
Model^b	0.206^c	0.043^c	0.034^c
Trait anger	0.044^d	– ^d	0.017^d	0.168^e	0.075^e	0.198^e	0.020^e
Education level	0.066^d	0.022^d	0.028^d	–0.588^e	0.277^e	–0.164^e	0.038^e

Biological aging (%)={(biological age-chronological age)/chronological age}×100.

Model was adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, monthly household gross income, faith level, smoking, weekly exercise, and weekly alcohol use.

R², ΔR², and adjusted R² were calculated using multiple stepwise linear regression analysis.

R², ΔR², and adjusted R² were calculated using simple linear regression analysis.

Data were calculated using multiple stepwise linear regression analysis.