HIROSAKI, Mayumi

Research Departments・Position
Environmental Coexistence
Affiliated Assistant Professor
Research Interests / Keywords
Association between positive affect and health status

HIROSAKI, Mayumi

Association between positive affect and health status

The association between psychological factors and physical health is well established. Many previous studies have focused on negative affect. For example, it has been shown that depression is an independent predictor of mortality and functional decline in older adults. Recently, the importance of positive affect to our health has been recognized, and it has been suggested that the absence of positive affect may be a more important factor than the presence of negative affect. Previous studies have shown that the impact of depression on mortality and functional decline might result from the absence of positive affect rather than the presence of negative affect. However, little is known about the association between positive affect and health status in Asian countries. The purpose of my study is to examine the association between positive affect and health status among community-dwelling older people. We examine the effects of Laughter Yoga on physical and mental health among older adults in Osaka and Fukushima prefecture. Laughter Yoga originated in India and is a kind of exercise employing self-triggered laughter. It is easy to do without a special tool and would be more enjoyable health promotion activities for older people.