Association of different emotional support status with cardio-cerebrovascular diseases

Background: Evidence suggests that emotional status affect physical health. We aimed to investigate the association of different emotional support sources with morbidity or mortality of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective-cohort analysis using data in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2004. 6183 participants were included and categorized into significant others support group (SOG, n = 2999) and experientially similar others support group (ESG, n = 3184) according to self-report questionnaire. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to eliminate group difference. Pearson's Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and generalized linear model were used to calculate and estimate associations between mortality, CVDs morbidity and emotional support sources.

Results: Participants receiving more support from experientially similar others had significant lower morbidity of myocardial infarction (MI, OR = 0.86) and all-cause mortality (OR = 0.81) after PSM compared to SOG. Subgroup analysis after PSM also showed that more emotional support from experientially similar others can significantly reduce all-cause mortality, especially in women and people over 60 years old.

Limitations: Retrospective-cohort analysis and limited sample size.

Conclusion: Compared with participants receiving more emotional support from family members, receiving more emotional support from other relative, neighbors, co-workers, church and club members, professionals and friends significantly reduced all-cause mortality as well as MI morbidity.