Abstract Body: Objective: Growing evidence suggests that higher levels of psychological well-being indicators (e.g., emotional vitality, positive mental health) are related to lower cardiometabolic risk. Healthy lifestyle habits (e.g., physical activity) may underpin this association. However, most studies evaluating the association between psychological well-being indicators and lifestyle habits are cross-sectional, precluding temporal sequence of events. Moreover, although such habits are typically established in early adulthood, prior research has been undertaken mainly in midlife or older adults. Finally, past studies usually consider habits separately despite their tendency to cluster and have interactive effects on long-term health. The current study assessed the longitudinal association of emotional vitality and positive mental health with the likelihood of adopting an overall healthy lifestyle among young adults in Canada.

Methods: Participants (N=799) from the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study completed items to derive the emotional vitality score in 2011-12 (mean age: 24.1 years) and a validated positive mental health scale in 2017-20 (mean age: 30.6 years). Data on smoking, sleep, physical activity, alcohol intake, and diet quality were collected in 2011-12, 2017-20, and 2020-21 (mean age: 33.6 years) and used to create a composite lifestyle score. The associations of interest were modeled using logistic regressions adjusting first for baseline sociodemographic factors, health status (e.g., BMI), and depression (Model 1), and then including baseline lifestyle (Model 2). Effect modification by sex was examined.

Results: In Model 1, a 1-standard deviation increase in emotional vitality (OR=1.28, 95%CI=1.06-1.54) and positive mental health (OR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.02-1.68) was related to a greater likelihood of a healthy lifestyle 4-10 years later. In Model 2, the findings were robust for positive mental health but the confidence intervals for emotional vitality included the null. Sex did not modify these associations. When considering habits separately, emotional vitality and positive mental health were both related to healthy diets and sleep, but not with the other habits.

Conclusions: Both emotional vitality and positive mental health may have beneficial effects on lifestyle. They should be considered when developing primordial prevention strategies that aim to promote healthy lifestyles in young adults, to contribute to cardiometabolic health over the life course.