Daily stress did not have a consistent relationship with health behaviors
A review of repeated daily-life measurements found mixed associations, with results differing between self-reported stress and physiological measures.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review found no consistent direction linking daily stress with health behaviors. Reported associations included less healthy behavior, healthier behavior, and no association, with the last category most common in the synthesis. This abstract-based evidence describes relationships rather than causes, and differences in measurement and study quality limit how broadly the pattern can be applied.
The authors report low study quality and limited comparability. Physiological measures were uncommon, and the abstract does not provide behavior-specific estimates or explain the denominator behind its percentages of association types.
What counted as stress
Most studies relied on participants' own reports of stress, while fewer used physiological measures. The review focused on stress during ordinary daily life and excluded laboratory-induced stress, physical stress, and studies centered on mood.
Measurement changed the pattern
Physiological stress measures tended to correlate with healthier behaviors, while self-reported stress tended to relate to less healthy behaviors. These contrasting patterns do not establish that either type of stress measurement causes a particular behavioral response.
The original publication
Assessment of stress and its relationship with health behaviour in daily life: a systematic review.
Bamert M, Schaffter Y, Bally F et al.
Health Psychol Rev · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40844372
- Record checked
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