Happiness Matters: Emotional Health Factors that Contribute to Perceived Overall Health in African American Men

The literature on African American (AA) men generally tends to focus on negative aspects of their health, but a more balanced approach is needed to understand positive factors that contribute to their overall well-being. This exploratory cross-sectional study examined the effect of different components of emotional wellness (happiness, self-esteem, and lack of stress) on AA men’s perceived overall health. The Wellness Self-Perception Questionnaire was administered among 115 AA men aged 18 to 45. Logistic regression analyses revealed that only happiness and self-esteem significantly increased the odds of better perceived overall health, with happiness being the strongest predictor. These findings suggest that broadening and strengthening the focus on positive aspects of AA men’s emotional health may improve their perceived overall well-being.