Does Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Predict Life-History Strategy in Japanese Adults?

  • Ryo Oda Nagoya Institute of Technology
Keywords: life history theory perceived vulnerability to disease immune function health

Abstract

Humans are a slow life-history strategy species compared to other animals. However, individual differences occur within species. Individuals develop in a flexible manner to choose the best life-history strategy in response to internal and external factors, such as the unpredictability of the environment. The burden of lifespan-limiting disease, over which one feels little control, could be a factor modulating life-history strategy. This study investigated the effects of perceived susceptibility to disease and germ aversion on individual differences in life-history strategy using a large sample of Japanese adults. The results indicate that the effects of perceived susceptibility to infection and germ aversion on life history strategy was much weaker than that of a harsh socio-economic environment, which did not support results of a previous study. This may have been caused by the special environment of contemporary medical care in Japan, wherein medical standards are very high and mortality rates are relatively low.
Published
2017-11-10
Section
Original Articles