Happiness and Health: Environmental and Genetic Contributions to the Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being, Perceived Health, and Somatic Illness.
Abstract
The aim was to identify genetic and environmental influences on the covariances between subjective well-being (SWB), perceived health, and somatic illness. Analyses were based on 6576 Norwegian twins aged 18-31. Heritabilities ranged from .24 to.66. SWB correlated .50 with perceived health, -.25 with musculoskeletal pain, and -.07 with allergy. Common genetic factors accounted for 45%-60% of associations. SWB and perceived health was to a high extent influenced by the same genes (r(g)=.72 and.82 for males and females, respectively). For SWB and musculoskeletal pain, r-sub(g) =-.29 and -.42 for males and females, respectively. Effects were partly sex specific. Environmental factors shared by twins did not affect the covariances. Results support a differentiated view of SWB-health relations, and imply that both genes and environment play important roles in the associations between well-being and health.
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Two cohorts, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel and the Netherlands Twin Register, reported significant sex-differences in heritability in some of their studies.
“Two cohorts (the Norwegian Institute of Public Health Twin Panel and the Netherlands Twin Register), reported significant sex-differences in heritability in some of their studies (Bartels et al. 2010, 2013; Nes et al. 2006, 2008; Røysamb et al. 2003).”
From Genetics of Wellbeing and Its Components Satisfaction with Life, Happiness, and Quality of Life: A Review and Meta-analysis of Heritability Studies (2015) · cites this paper as Røysamb et al. 2003
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- Authors
- Røysamb, E., Tambs, K., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Neale, M. C., & Harris, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 2003
- Volume
- 85
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1136-1146
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W2087266277
- Cited by
- 224
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 7.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- subjective well-being, health perception, somatic diseases, musculoskeletal pain, allergy, heritability, genetic correlation, shared environment, sex differences, twins, health and happiness
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Attitude to Health, Diseases in Twins, Female, Happiness, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Male, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Pain, Phenotype, Quality of Life, Social Environment, Somatoform Disorders, Statistics as Topic, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic, Genetic Predisposition to Disease
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