Happiness 'dips in midlife in the affluent West'
By Michelle RobertsHealth editor, BBC News online, 6 November 2014 Last updated at03:29
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Happiness nose dives as you hit middle age - but only if you live in the affluent West,
according to experts.
當你面臨中年時幸福感會驟降 - 但據專家說這只有當你身處在富裕的西方國家時。
Using world survey data, the Lancet study authors found life satisfaction followed a
predictable trajectory depending on where people lived.
採用國際調查數據顯示，the Lancet 研究人員發現，生活滿意度，隨人們居住的地方
可得預測的軌跡。
In countries such as the UK and the US, life satisfaction followed a U-shape, dipping
to a low in midlife.
在一些國家，如英國和美國，在中年時期的生活滿意度是呈現馬蹄U 形，浸漬到低。
In Africa it was low throughout, and in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and
Latin America it declined with age.
在非洲，低處貫穿始終，在東歐，前蘇聯和拉美也隨著年齡的增長有所下降。
The reasons behind the trends were multiple and complex, but there were some
plausible explanations as well as important lessons to be learned, said Prof Andrew
Steptoe, of University College London, and colleagues.
趨勢背後的原因是多方面，複雜的，但也有一些似是而非的解釋並重要的
經驗和教訓可習得，倫敦大學學院教授安德魯·斯特普托，和同事如此說。
Their report is part of a series on health and ageing, published in The Lancet, warning
of a growing burden of chronic disease and diminished wellbeing affecting the quality
of life of older people.
The Lancet 發表了他們的一系列關於健康和老化報告，警告慢性疾病的負擔日益加重，
且福利減少影響老年人生活質量的一部分。
Satisfaction
滿意
The researchers used four years of data from the Gallup World Poll in more than 160
countries covering more than 98% of the world's population, to make their evaluations.
研究人員使用了來自蓋洛普世界民意調查在超過160個國家，涵蓋超過98％的世界
人口四年的數據，來製作他們的評估。
As well as physical health and pain, they considered three measures of wellbeing:
除了身體健康和痛苦，他們還考量幸福的三項衡量措施：
- evaluative - how satisfied people were with their lives
- hedonic - feelings or moods such as happiness, sadness and anger
- eudemonic - judgements about the meaning and purpose of life
評價 - 人們如何滿足自己的生活
享樂 - 感情或情緒，如快樂，悲傷和憤怒
幸福感學 - 關於生命的意義和目的的判斷
In Western world nations, life satisfaction bottomed out between the ages of 45 and 54
before rising again.
在西方國家，生活滿意度再次上漲前在45和54歲之間見底。
Co-researcher Angus Deaton, of Princeton University in the US, said economics could
explain this.
美國普林斯頓大學的合作研究員安格斯·迪頓，說經濟學可以解釋這個。
"This is the period at which wage rates typically peak and is the best time to work and
earn the most, even at the expense of present wellbeing, so as to have increased wealth
and wellbeing later in life," he said.
他說 :“這段時期其薪資率通常達到頂峰，最佳的工作期間並賺取最多，即使需以目前的
福祉為代價，以後還是可有增加財富和幸福最好的一段時間”。
It might explain why elderly people were happier despite becoming more frail - although
poorer health led to lower ratings of life satisfaction among the elderly, higher life satisfaction
seemed to stave off physical health declines.
Prof Andrew Steptoe這或許可以解釋為什麼老年人儘管越來越虛弱但都快樂， - 雖然老年人健康狀況差
導致生活滿意度呈中低評級，高生活滿意度似乎袪開身體健康下降的不適。It would appear that wellbeing goes along with economic prosperity in the world”
這樣看來，幸福感是伴隨著經濟繁榮的世界而在的“
In transition countries, such as the former Soviet Union, life satisfaction declined steadily
with age and was generally lower overall than in the West.
安德魯·斯特普托教授
在過渡時期國家，如前蘇聯，生活滿意度隨著年齡的增長逐漸下降，且整體普遍比西方更低。
This could again be linked to economics, said the researchers. Older people in these
countries had lost a system that, however imperfect, had given meaning to their lives,
and, in some cases, their pensions and their health care.
研究人員說，這可能再次被鏈接到經濟學。年紀大的人在這些國家已經失去了他們的生活體系，
雖不完美，但生命給了意義，在某些情況下，給予他們養老金和健康保健。
In sub-Saharan Africa, satisfaction was very low throughout life, while stress and worry was high.
在非洲撒哈拉以南，整個生命滿意度是非常低的，且具高度壓力和擔心。
"The findings undoubtedly show the recent experiences of the region and the distress that
these events have brought to older people," said Prof Deaton.
迪頓教授說“調查結果顯示當屬該地區近期的經驗和痛苦，這些事件會使老年人同感”。
Prof Steptoe said while money did not equate to happiness, economic progress did promote
wellbeing to an extent.
斯特普托教授說，雖然有錢不等同於幸福，但經濟發展確實促進健康的程度。
"It would appear that wellbeing goes along with economic prosperity in the world," he said.
“這樣看來，幸福伴隨著經濟繁榮的世界，”他說。
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