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Finding meaning in life keeps you healthier. Feeling like you have a purpose in life may be good for your mental well-being, but it’s also good for your body. Past research has found that those with purpose also tend to live longer. New research shows us it has to do with going to the doctor. “After controlling for demographic factors like wealth, education and marital status (which might skew the results), researchers found that having a purpose in life was indeed correlated with greater use of preventive care.” More specifically, “each one-point increase in the ‘sense of purpose’ score increased the likelihood of cholesterol checks by 18% and the odds of having a colonoscopy by 6%. Women with a sense of purpose were 27% more likely to have had a screening mammogram to check for breast cancer and 16% more likely to have a pap smear to check for cervical cancer. Among men, having a sense of purpose increased the odds of getting a prostate exam by 31%.” Those with purpose also spent much less time in hospital.
