Linking Life Dissatisfaction to Health Behaviors of Older African Americans Through Psychological Competency and Vulnerability

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of life dissatisfaction on health behaviors of older African Americans and the linking role of psychological competency (e.g., control and agency) and psychological vulnerability (e.g., negative affect). A structural equation model using baseline data from a larger intervention study of older African Americans was examined. Respondents included 207 (153 females and 54 males with a median age of 60) older African Americans. Life dissatisfaction was directly associated with respondents’ daily fat consumption and sleep and indirectly associated with receiving regular physical exams, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption through their psychological processes. The association between life dissatisfaction and respondents’ health behaviors varied depending on the behavior under consideration. Programs and services designed to improve older African Americans’ health behaviors should address their psychological processes, as this research suggests these psychological processes are associated with different health behaviors.