Abstract
Purpose in life is associated consistently with better health outcomes, which may be due in part to healthier inflammatory profiles. The present research used seven independent cohort studies (total N = 54,491) to evaluate the association between purpose in life and c-reactive protein (CRP), sociodemographic moderators of the association, and whether purpose is associated with elevated CRP cross-sectionally and longitudinally (three cohorts with longitudinal data). Purpose in life had a modest but consistent association with concurrent CRP (meta-analytic b=-.05, 95 % CI=-.06, -.04, p < .001). The association was apparent across age, sex, race, and education, but was slightly stronger among males and relatively younger participants. Purpose was associated cross-sectionally with lower likelihood of elevated CRP defined either as CRP> 3 (meta-analytic OR=.91, 95 % CI=.88,.94, p < .001) or CRP> 10 (meta-analytic OR=.86, 95 % CI=.82,.90, p < .001). Although not apparent in all cohorts, the meta-analysis indicated that purpose was associated with lower likelihood of persistently elevated CRP> 3 (meta-analytic OR=.90, 95 % CI=.828,.976, p = .011) and lower risk of developing elevated CRP> 3 (meta-analytic HR=.92, 95 % CI=.886,.964, p < .001) over the up to 12 years of follow-up. Purpose in life is associated with lower levels of CRP, which may be one mechanism through which purpose is associated with better health outcomes.