Two new independent studies have shown that the way a women views her life can dramatically affect her health. One study found that optimism during pregnancy significantly reduces the chance of delivering premature or low-weight babies. Women who were the least optimistic delivered lower birth weight infants. The second study showed that a women’s perception of stress can affect her overall health as much as other stressors such as poverty. Researchers found that women who placed themselves higher on the social scale reported better physical health, took less time to fall asleep at night, and had less abdominal fat. Those who saw themselves at a lower social standing were more likely to suffer from chronic stress.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Health Psychology 2000; 19:544550,586595
