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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults | | Author(s) | Christina Bryant, Bei Bei, Kim Gilson |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 24, no 10, October 2012 |
| Pages | pp 1674-1683 |
| Source | www.journals.cambridge.org/ipg |
| Keywords | Attitudes to the old of general public ; Health [elderly] ; Well being ; Depression ; Anxiety ; Cross sectional surveys ; Australia. |
| Annotation | Attitudes are known to exert a powerful influence on a range of behaviours. The authors investigated the contribution of attitudes toward one's own ageing to satisfaction with life and physical and mental health measured in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. 421 people aged 60+ who were part of a larger study of health and well-being in rural and regional Australia 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. Overall, attitudes to ageing were positive in this sample. More positive attitudes to ageing 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. The promotion of successful ageing is increasingly becoming important in ageing societies. Having positive attitudes to ageing may contribute to healthier mental and physical outcomes in older adults. Overcoming negative stereotypes of ageing through change at the societal and individual level may help to promote more successful ageing. (RH) |
| Accession Number | CPA-121026109 A |
| Classmark | TOB: CC: D:F:5HH: ENR: ENP: 3KB: 7YA |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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