Positive Emotional Style Predicts Resistance to Illness...

[sharon sanders]

Received May 24, 2006
[SIZE=-1]Returned for revision July 5, 2006[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Accepted , [/SIZE]
Positive Emotional Style Predicts Resistance to Illness After Experimental Exposure to Rhinovirus or Influenza A Virus

<NOBR>Sheldon Cohen , PhD,</NOBR> <NOBR>Cuneyt M. Alper , MD,</NOBR> <NOBR>William J. Doyle , PhD,</NOBR> <NOBR>John J. Treanor , MD,</NOBR> <NOBR>Ronald B. Turner , MD</NOBR>
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[SIZE=-1]Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Sheldon Cohen, PhD, E-mail: scohen@cmu.edu<SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!-- var u = "scohen", d = "cmu.edu"; document.getElementById("em0").innerHTML = '<a href="mailto:' + u + '@' + d + '">' + u + '@' + d + '<\/a>'//--></SCRIPT> . [/SIZE]
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</TD><TH vAlign=center align=left width="95%">[SIZE=+2] Abstract[/SIZE]</TH></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Objective: In an earlier study, positive emotional style (PES)<SUP> </SUP>was associated with resistance to the common cold and a bias<SUP> </SUP>to underreport (relative to objective disease markers) symptom<SUP> </SUP>severity. This work did not control for social and cognitive<SUP> </SUP>factors closely associated with PES. We replicate the original<SUP> </SUP>study using a different virus and controls for these alternative<SUP> </SUP>explanations. Methods: One hundred ninety-three healthy volunteers<SUP> </SUP>ages 21 to 55 years were assessed for a PES characterized by<SUP> </SUP>being happy, lively, and calm; a negative emotional style (NES)<SUP> </SUP>characterized by being anxious, hostile, and depressed; other<SUP> </SUP>cognitive and social dispositions; and self-reported health.<SUP> </SUP>Subsequently, they were exposed by nasal drops to a rhinovirus<SUP> </SUP>or influenza virus and monitored in quarantine for objective<SUP> </SUP>signs of illness and self-reported symptoms. Results: For both<SUP> </SUP>viruses, increased PES was associated with lower risk of developing<SUP> </SUP>an upper respiratory illness as defined by objective criteria<SUP> </SUP>(adjusted odds ratio comparing lowest with highest tertile =<SUP> </SUP>2.9) and with reporting fewer symptoms than expected from concurrent<SUP> </SUP>objective markers of illness. These associations were independent<SUP> </SUP>of prechallenge virus-specific antibody, virus type, age, sex,<SUP> </SUP>education, race, body mass, season, and NES. They were also<SUP> </SUP>independent of optimism, extraversion, mastery, self-esteem,<SUP> </SUP>purpose, and self-reported health. Conclusions: We replicated<SUP> </SUP>the prospective association of PES and colds and PES and biased<SUP> </SUP>symptom reporting, extended those results to infection with<SUP> </SUP>an influenza virus, and "ruled out" alternative hypotheses.<SUP> </SUP>These results indicate that PES may play a more important role<SUP> </SUP>in health than previously thought.
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Key Words: emotions, influenza, disease susceptibility, common cold, rhinovirus, affect </VARDEF>