Trajectories and personality correlates of change in perceptions of physical and mental health across adulthood and old age

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 475-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Morack ◽  
Frank J. Infurna ◽  
Nilam Ram ◽  
Denis Gerstorf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Personality Correlates ◽  
Age Related

Subjective health is known to predict later outcomes, including survival. However, less is known about subjective health changes across adulthood, how personality moderates those changes, and whether such associations differ with age. We applied growth models to 10 waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA, N = 7,172; median ages 20–93) to examine age-related differences in trajectories of subjective physical and mental health. On average, perceptions of physical health declined with increasing steepness in old age, whereas self-rated mental health remained relatively stable across all ages. Higher neuroticism and lower extraversion and conscientiousness were each related to less successful aging. The health implications of personality did not differ by age for physical health, but were weaker for mental health in old age. We discuss implications of our results for accelerated longitudinal designs and consider avenues for future more mechanism-oriented research.

The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1674-1683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Bryant ◽  
Bei Bei ◽  
Kim Gilson ◽  
Angela Komiti ◽  
Henry Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Positive Attitudes

ABSTRACTBackground: Attitudes are known to exert a powerful influence on a range of behaviors. The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of attitudes toward one's own aging to satisfaction with life and physical and mental health measured in a sample of community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Adults who were part of a larger study of health and well-being in rural and regional Australia aged ≥60 years (N = 421) completed a cross-sectional postal survey comprising the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.Results: Overall, attitudes to aging were positive in this sample. More positive attitudes to aging were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life, better self-report physical and mental health on the SF-12, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, after controlling for confounding variables. Better financial status and being employed were both associated with more positive attitudes to aging and better self-reported physical health. Relationship status was also significantly associated with mental health and satisfaction with life, but not physical health.Conclusion: The promotion of successful aging is increasingly becoming important in aging societies. Having positive attitudes to aging may contribute to healthier mental and physical outcomes in older adults. Overcoming negative stereotypes of aging through change at the societal and individual level may help to promote more successful aging.

scholarly journals The Effects of Age Stereotypes on Physical and Mental Health Are Mediated by Self-perceptions of Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allyson Brothers ◽  
Anna E Kornadt ◽  
Abigail Nehrkorn-Bailey ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Manfred Diehl
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Age Stereotypes ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Gain And Loss

Abstract Objectives Although the evidence linking views on aging (VoA) with aging outcomes is robust, little is known about how different types of VoA may interact to influence such outcomes. Therefore, this study examined two types of VoA, age stereotypes (AS), representing general VoA, and self-perceptions of aging (SPA), representing personal VoA. We operationalized SPA in terms of awareness of age-related change (AARC), distinguishing between gain- and loss-related SPA (e.g., awareness of positive and negative age-related changes, respectively). Based on theoretical reasoning, we hypothesized that AS would be an antecedent of SPA, and that the effect of AS on physical and mental health would be mediated by SPA. Method A total of 819 German and U.S. adults aged 40–98 completed a survey on VoA, physical health, and mental health at baseline and 2.5 years later. Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to examine the effects of Time 1 AS (predictor) and Time 2 gain- and loss-related SPA (mediators) on physical and mental health outcomes. Results As hypothesized, AS predicted later SPA. Loss-related SPA mediated the effect of AS on physical health; both gain- and loss-related SPA mediated the effect of AS on mental health. Discussion Congruent with theoretical assumptions, our findings provide empirical support for a directional pathway by which AS shape later SPA. We conclude that AS and SPA may affect physical health outcomes more strongly than mental health outcomes. Studies that assess both types of VoA are needed to illuminate the pathways by which VoA influence aging outcomes.

Pathways between health, education and income in adolescence and adulthood

2016 ◽  
Vol 101 (9) ◽  
pp. 825-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J Callander
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Total Effect ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveTo quantify the impact of household income, and physical and mental health in adolescence on education attainment, household income and health status in adulthood.DesignPath analysis and regression models using waves 1–12 of theHousehold, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australiasurvey.ParticipantsIndividuals aged 17 or 18 in 2001, 52% were males (n=655) and 48% were female (52%). Of those participating in wave 1, five did not respond in wave 12.Main outcome measuresEducation attainment, household income, physical and mental health at age 29/30.ResultsFor females, physical health at age 17/18 was significantly related to level of education attainment at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.290, p<0.001), with this influence being greater in magnitude than that of household income at age 17/18 on level of education attainment at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.159, p=0.022). Females' physical health at age 17/18 was also significantly related to household income at age 29/30 (standardised total effect 0.09, p=0.018). Both adjusted for initial household income at age 17/18. For males, the total standardised total effect of physical health at age 17/18 had a greater impact than household income at age 17/18 on education attainment at age 29/30 (0.347, p<0.001 for physical health and 0.276, p<0.001 for household income). The OR of achieving a year 12 or higher level of education attainment was 4.72 (95% CI 1.43 to 15.58, p=0.0110) for females with good physical health at age 17/18 and 5.05 (95% CI 1.78 to 14.36, p=0.0024) for males, compared with those with poor physical health at age 17/18.ConclusionsAs physical health in adolescence appears to have a stronger influence on education attainment in adulthood than household income, equity strategies for education attainment should also target those with poor health.

scholarly journals Factors Contributing to Poor Self-Rated Health in Older Adults with Lower Income

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1515
Author(s):  
Mikyong Byun ◽  
Eunjung Kim ◽  
Heuijune Ahn
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Health Factors ◽  
Mental Health Factors

Lower household income is associated with poorer self-reported health status, especially in the elderly. Considering the importance of subjective health in this fragile population, it would be worthwhile to explore the physical and mental health factors that may help to predict good or poor self-rated health (SRH) status. We first described three main categories (individual, physical, and psychological) between low-income seniors with good and poor SRH. Next, statistically significant physical and mental health factors affecting poor SRH were identified. In this study, original data from the 2017 National Survey of Older Persons in South Korea were analyzed. People aged 65 years and over with low household income were eligible. A total of 1405 men and 2945 women (n = 4350) were enrolled, and less than half of participants (47.5%, n = 2066) belonged to the poor SRH cohort. We applied individual variable-adjusted models and found that poor SRH was significantly associated with ADL limitation (odds ratio (OR): 2.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.11–4.01), IADL limitation (OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.52–2.13), malnutrition (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.53–2.04), and depression (OR: 3.65, 95% CI: 3.10–4.31) on logistic regression analysis. Our findings suggest that limited ADL/IADL, poor nutrition, and depression need to be emphasized to improve subjective health status in low-income adults. Early recognition and timely intervention might help them to live better and happier, ultimately relieving social healthcare burdens.

scholarly journals The association of cognitive performance with mental health and physical functioning strengthens with age: the Whitehall II cohort study

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 837-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jokela ◽  
A. Singh-Manoux ◽  
J. E. Ferrie ◽  
D. Gimeno ◽  
T. N. Akbaraly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Differences ◽  
Mental And Physical Health ◽  
Early Old Age

BackgroundCognitive performance has been associated with mental and physical health, but it is unknown whether the strength of these associations changes with ageing and with age-related social transitions, such as retirement. We examined whether cognitive performance predicted mental and physical health from midlife to early old age.MethodParticipants were 5414 men and 2278 women from the Whitehall II cohort study followed for 15 years between 1991 and 2006. The age range included over the follow-up was from 40 to 75 years. Mental health and physical functioning were measured six times using SF-36 subscales. Cognitive performance was assessed three times using five cognitive tests assessing verbal and numerical reasoning, verbal memory, and phonemic and semantic fluency. Socio-economic status (SES) and retirement were included as covariates.ResultsHigh cognitive performance was associated with better mental health and physical functioning. Mental health differences associated with cognitive performance widened with age from 39 to 76 years of age, whereas physical functioning differences widened only between 39 and 60 years and not after 60 years of age. SES explained part of the widening differences in mental health and physical functioning before age 60. Cognitive performance was more strongly associated with mental health in retired than non-retired participants, which contributed to the widening differences after 60 years of age.ConclusionsThe strength of cognitive performance in predicting mental and physical health may increase from midlife to early old age, and these changes may be related to SES and age-related transitions, such as retirement.

scholarly journals Greater lifestyle engagement is associated with better cognitive resilience

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gesa Sophia Borgeest ◽  
Richard Henson ◽  
Meredith Shafto ◽  
David Samu ◽  
Cam-CAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Intellectual Engagement ◽  
Age Related

AbstractPrevious evidence suggests that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as engagement in leisure activities, might slow the age-related decline of cognitive functions. Less is known, however, about which aspects of lifestyle might be particularly beneficial to healthy cognitive ageing, and whether they are associated with distinct cognitive domains (e.g. fluid and crystallized abilities) differentially. We investigated these questions in the cross-sectional Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) data (N=708, age 18-88), using data-driven exploratory structural equation modelling, confirmatory factor analyses, and age-residualized measures of cognitive differences across the lifespan. Specifically, we assessed the relative associations of the following five lifestyle factors on age-related differences of fluid and crystallized resilience: education/SES, physical health, mental health, social engagement, and intellectual engagement. We found that higher education, better physical and mental health, more social engagement and a greater degree of intellectual engagement were each individually correlated with better fluid and crystallized cognitive resilience. A joint path model of all lifestyle factors on crystallized and fluid resilience, which allowed a simultaneous assessment of the lifestyle domains, showed that physical health, social and intellectual engagement and education/SES explained unique, complementary variance, but mental health did not make significant contributions above and beyond the other four lifestyle factors and age. The total variance explained for fluid resilience was 14% and 16% for crystallized resilience. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that intellectually and physically challenging as well as socially engaging activities are associated with better crystallized and fluid performance across the lifespan.  Research Highlights 1.Higher education/SES, better physical and mental health, more social engagement and a greater degree of intellectual engagement are all individually associated with better cognitive health across the lifespan. 2.When all five lifestyle factors were assessed simultaneously, we found that physical health and social as well as intellectual engagement are independently associated with individual differences in cognitive health, above and beyond the effect of education/SES. Mental health makes no additional independent contributions. 3.Education/SES, physical health, intellectual engagement and social engagement show similar patterns with crystallized and fluid cognitive resilience, suggesting that the associations between lifestyle engagement and cognition are global rather than cognitive-domain specific. 4.Age-corrected residuals as a proxy of cognitive health across the lifespan may be a useful tool for future cross-sectional studies comparing different age groups.

scholarly journals Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Older and Younger People

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7871
Author(s):  
Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan ◽  
Yoshihiko Kadoya
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Living Condition ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Subjective Health Status ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Precautionary Measures

The precautionary measures and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have serious psychological impacts on peoples’ mental health. We used longitudinal data from Hiroshima University to investigate loneliness before and during the pandemic among older and younger people in Japan. We provide evidence that loneliness among both older and younger people increased considerably during the pandemic. Although loneliness among younger people is more pervasive, the magnitude of increase in loneliness during the pandemic is higher among older people. Our logit regression analysis shows that age, subjective health status, and feelings of depression are strongly associated with loneliness before and during the pandemic. Moreover, household income and financial satisfaction are associated with loneliness among older people during the pandemic while gender, marital status, living condition, and depression are associated with loneliness among younger people during the pandemic. The evidence of increasing loneliness during the pandemic is concerning for a traditionally well-connected and culturally collectivist society such as Japan. As loneliness has a proven connection with both physical and mental health, we suggest immediate policy interventions to provide mental health support for lonely people so they feel more cared for, secure, and socially connected.

Relationship Between Extracurricular Occupations and Health in College Students: A Longitudinal Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512505178p1-7512505178p1
Author(s):  
Buwen Yao ◽  
Sandy Takata ◽  
Shawn C. Roll
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Student Health ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Primary Author

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. We examined the relationships between participation in different extracurricular activities and the overall physical and mental health in college students across a 2-year period. Participation in certain occupations was associated with positive mental health, whereas other occupations were linked to poorer physical health. Exploration and promotion of participation in extracurricular occupations should be considered to support student health. Primary Author and Speaker: Buwen Yao Contributing Authors: Sandy Takata, Shawn C. Roll

Critical Care Nurses’ Physical and Mental Health, Worksite Wellness Support, and Medical Errors

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-184
Author(s):  
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk ◽  
Alai Tan ◽  
Andreanna Pavan Hsieh ◽  
Kate Gawlik ◽  
Cynthia Arslanian-Engoren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Medical Errors ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Worksite Wellness ◽  
Physical And Mental Health

Background Critical care nurses experience higher rates of mental distress and poor health than other nurses, adversely affecting health care quality and safety. It is not known, however, how critical care nurses’ overall health affects the occurrence of medical errors. Objective To examine the associations among critical care nurses’ physical and mental health, perception of workplace wellness support, and self-reported medical errors. Methods This survey-based study used a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design. A random sample of 2500 members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses was recruited to participate in the study. The outcomes of interest were level of overall health, symptoms of depression and anxiety, stress, burnout, perceived worksite wellness support, and medical errors. Results A total of 771 critical care nurses participated in the study. Nurses in poor physical and mental health reported significantly more medical errors than nurses in better health (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.31 [0.96-1.78] for physical health, 1.62 [1.17-2.29] for depressive symptoms). Nurses who perceived that their worksite was very supportive of their well-being were twice as likely to have better physical health (odds ratio [95% CI], 2.16 [1.33-3.52]; 55.8%). Conclusion Hospital leaders and health care systems need to prioritize the health of their nurses by resolving system issues, building wellness cultures, and providing evidence-based wellness support and programming, which will ultimately increase the quality of patient care and reduce the incidence of preventable medical errors.

Presence of a Secondary Caregiver Differentiates Primary Cancer Caregiver Well-being

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Thomson ◽  
Maureen Wilson-Genderson ◽  
Laura A Siminoff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Primary Caregivers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Hematological Cancer ◽  
Cancer Caregiver ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Informal caregivers play a fundamental role in the care of hematological cancer patients, but less is known about how secondary caregivers are involved. We assessed the presence or absence of a secondary caregiver, the types of caregiving activities performed by primary and secondary caregivers and examined whether the presence of a secondary caregiver was associated with primary caregiver characteristics and wellbeing over time. Methods A case series of hematological cancer patient-caregiver dyads (n = 171) were recruited from oncology clinics in Virginia and Pennsylvania and followed for 2 years. Multi-level models were developed to examine the associations between presence of a secondary caregiver and the primary caregivers’ well-being. Results Most (64.9%) primary caregivers reported having secondary caregivers. Multilevel models showed primary caregivers without help had higher baseline mental and physical health, but experienced deteriorating physical health overtime, compared to supported primary caregivers. Supported primary caregivers reported improvements in mental health over time that was associated with improvements in physical health. Conclusions Primary caregivers in good physical and mental health at the beginning of their caregiving journey but who have the least assistance from others may be at greatest risk for detrimental physical health effects long term. Attention to the arrangement of caregiving roles (i.e., who provides what care) overtime is needed to ensure that caregivers remain healthy and well supported.

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