Lifestyle-Related Behavior and Self-Reported Health Status Among Seventh-Day Adventists

Abstract

Longevity and lower incidence of chronic disease of Seventh-day Adventists in North America are well documented. Seventh-day Adventists, in general, follow healthy lifestyle compared to the general population even though there is some variation among themselves. The objective of our study was to assess the degree to which differences in adherence to the healthy lifestyle impacts self-reported health status. Our sample consisted of 58,866 individuals in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort recruited between 2002-2007 in the United States and Canada who answered the baseline questionnaire. In this study, we used a framework developed by Grossman to estimate health outcomes relative to behavior. Our data were based on self-reported health status, demographic and lifestyle questions, and ordered probit technique was used to measure the health investment equation. Our findings showed that lifestyles aligned with health principles of this group, particularly in nutrition, exercise, and restraint from tobacco, were associated with a higher reported health status. The predictions based on variables such as age and education were also validated in this group. Interaction between variables including race and gender show results similar to other findings. Our study shows that practices consistent with the group’s norms have higher probability of reporting excellent health.