Positive Emotions, Good Health Have Strong Link In Developing Countries, Study Finds

Is the concept of emotions having an effect on health a "First World" problem? According to a new study, no, it is not -- and in fact, the association may be even stronger in developing nations.
A new study from the University of California, Irvine, published in the journal Psychological Science, shows that positive emotions affect the health of people around the world, and most significantly in countries with lower income.

"We wondered whether the fact that emotions make a difference in our health is simply because we have the luxury of letting them,” study researcher Sarah Pressman, assistant professor of psychology and social behavior at the university, said in a statement. "We wanted to assess the impact of emotions on health in places where people face famine, homelessness and serious safety concerns that might be more critical correlates of wellness.”

Previous studies had examined emotion and health in industrialized nations, but this study measures the connection between emotion and health in a wider range of countries. This study included a representative sample of 150,000 people in 142 countries who participated in the Gallup World Poll, which conducts surveys annually from about 1,000 individuals in more than 142 counties. The subjects of this research were 52.1 percent female and 47.9 percent male with ages ranging from 15 to 99, according to the study.

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