How Being Popular At University Affects Your Health For Life

People who were very socially active at the age of 20 had better emotional health in their 50s, a study found

Missed deadlines and late arrivals to lectures might not make you popular with your professors.

But having a full social life at university can benefit your well-being for decades afterwards, according to new research.

People who were very socially active at the age of 20 had better emotional health in their 50s, the 30-year study found.

‘Considering everything else that goes on in life over those 30 years – marriage, raising a family, and building a career – it is extraordinary that there appears to be a relationship between the kinds of interactions college students and young adults have and their emotional health later in life,’ said lead author Cheryl Carmichael, of the University of Rochester.

'In fact, having few social connections is equivalent to tobacco use, and it’s higher than for those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, or who suffer from obesity.'

Having lots of social connections at 20 is beneficial for later life because they help us to figure out who we are, and help us build a ‘tool set’ to be drawn on later, the researchers said.

‘It’s often around this age that we meet people from diverse backgrounds, with opinions and values that are different from our own, and we learn how to best manage those differences,’ said Dr Carmichael.

As a person hits the age of 30, the quality – rather than the quantity – of relationships becomes more important, the study found.

Having a high number of social interactions at this age was not linked to better well-being in midlife, but having quality relationships – defined as intimate and satisfying – was.

For the study, which was published in the journal Psychology and Aging, the researchers contacted individuals who, as 20-year-old college students, had participated in a study at the university some 30 years earlier.

The previous study, conducted by psychologists, had involved participants tracking their daily social interactions.

Encounters lasting 10 minutes or more were rated as to how intimate, pleasant, and satisfying each exchange was.

They had also completed diary entries at age 30.

Twenty years since their last diary entry, the now 50 year olds were asked to fill out a survey about the present quality of their social lives and emotional well-being.

'It would be interesting to see if beneficial social activity during college years and early on in adulthood continues to have an effect, in terms of longevity, mortality, and other specific health outcomes as these participants get older,”' Ms Carmichael added.

'I would absolutely love to keep following these people.'


=By SOPHIE FREEMAN FOR MAILONLINE