Table 1: Pearson correlations between age and optimism (LOT-R), and health components and behaviors (SF-36 and HBC).
| Health Survey SF-36 Questionnaire (SF-36) | ||||||||||
| Physical Functioning | Role Physical | Bodily Pain | General Health | Vitality | Social Functioning | Role Emotional | Mental Health | Physical Health Componenta | Mental Health Componentb | |
| Age | -0.188***
(p = 0.000) |
0. 000
(p = 0.994) |
-0. 003
(p = 0.943) |
0.040
(p = 0.289) |
0.114**
(p = 0.003) |
0.19
(p = 0.613) |
0.153***
(p = 0.000) |
0.130***
(p = 0.001) |
-0.039
(p = 0.309) |
0.133***
(p = 0.000) |
| Optimism (LOT-R) | 0.106**
(p = 0.005) |
0.132***
(p = 0.000) |
0.119**
(p = 0.002) |
0.359***
(p = 0.000) |
0.420***
(p = 0.000) |
0.266***
(p = 0.000) |
0.341***
(p = 0.000) |
0.515***
(p = 0.000) |
0.249***
(p = 0.000) |
0.484***
(p = 0.000) |
| Health Behavior Checklist (HBC) | ||||||
| Wellness Maintenance and Enhancement Behaviors | Accident Control Behaviors | Preventive Health Behaviorc | Traffic Risk Taking | Substance Risk Taking | Risk Taking Behaviord | |
| Age | 0.220***
(p = 0.000) |
0.214***
(p = 0.000) |
0.254***
(p = 0.000) |
-0.157***
(p = 0.000) |
-0.031
(p = 0.420) |
-0.137***
(p = 0.000) |
| Optimism (LOT-R) | 0.152***
(p = 0.000) |
0.085*
(p = 0.025) |
0.146***
(p = 0.000) |
-0.016
(p = 0.668) |
-0.050
(p = 0.183) |
-0.039
(p = 0.306) |
| N = 711; ***p ≤ 0.001 (two tailed); **p ≤ 0.01 (two tailed); * p ≤ 0.05 (two tailed). | ||||||
Note: aPhysical Health Component is the sum of Physical Functioning, Role Physical, Bodily Pain and General Health.
bMental Health Component is the sum of Vitality, Social Functioning, Role Emotional and Mental Health.
cPreventive Health Behavior is the sum of Wellness Maintenance and Enhancement Behaviors and Accident Control Behaviors.
dRisk Taking Behavior is the sum of Traffic Risk Taking and Substance Risk Taking.