The stability and change of malaise scores over 27 years: Findings from a nationally representative sample

• This was a study of 5000 adults tested over 27 years.
• In this study malaise was the dependent variable.
• The trend showed a similar pattern for men and women.
• Correlational analysis showed that over 27 years malaise scores ranged from r = .41 to r = .52.
• Malaise was significantly correlated with childhood intelligence (negatively) and behavioural problems (positively).

This study investigates the stability and change of malaise scores over a period of 27 years taking account of socio-demographic variables, childhood intelligence and behavioural problems. 6822 cohort members had the complete data on Malaise measured at 23, 33, 42, and 50 years. T-tests showed that there were significant changes of malaise mean scores over the 27 years: malaise scores decreased significantly from 23 to 33 years, but increased significantly from 33 to 42 years, and there were no significant change between 42 and 50 years. The trend showed a similar pattern for men and women, though women scored significantly higher than men on the measure at every time point. Correlational analysis showed that over 27 years malaise scores ranged from r = .41 to r = .52, indicating the relative stability. Malaise was significantly and inversely associated with childhood intelligence and behavioural problems. It was also significantly associated with education in the expected direction. Regression analysis showed that previous malaise scores were significant predictors of the later ones, and the strength of the predictive power decreased over time. Limitations were considered.