A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN A HIGHLY HEALTH-LITERATE GROUP’S HEALTHY LIFESTYLE PRACTICES AND THEIR LIFE PURPOSE.
BACKGROUND
This study examines the correlation between clustered healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose, in line with the national health promotion program in twenty-first century Japan (HJ21). While HJ21 emphasizes the link between life purpose and disease prevention, the impact of healthy lifestyle practices on life purpose within the framework of this program has yet to be investigated.
METHODS
A validated tool was used to measure the demographic information, lifestyle, and purpose in life of certified specialists in health management through a cross-sectional survey conducted nationwide. The participants were divided into two groups based on their health-related lifestyle scores, which were obtained by clustering. The study then compared the health-related lifestyle and purpose values between the two groups and measured the correlation between health-related lifestyle and purpose in life.
RESULTS
The study analyzed data from 4820 participants and found that the group with higher scores for health-related lifestyle had a significantly higher life purpose compared to the lower-scoring group (35.3 vs 31.4; t = 23.6, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a positive and linear relationship between the scores of clustered healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose (r = 0.401, p < 0.001). In summary, individuals who scored higher on health-related lifestyle practices achieved a greater sense of purpose in life, and this relationship was statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence we’ve gathered indicates that people who adopt a healthier lifestyle tend to experience a stronger sense of purpose in life. In simpler terms, a healthy lifestyle is an indicator of purposeful living. Based on our results, investigating the link between healthy lifestyle and purpose in life as a cause-and-effect relationship could be a more effective strategy for promoting overall health.
