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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Life course influences of physical and cognitive function and personality on attitudes to aging in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 | | Author(s) | Susan D Shenkin, Ken Laidlaw, Mike Allerhand |
| Journal title | International Psychogeriatrics, vol 26, no 9, September 2014 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, September 2014 |
| Pages | pp 1417-1430 |
| Source | www.journals.cambridge.org |
| Keywords | Ageing process ; Over 70s ; Life span ; Attitude ; Attitudes to the old of general public. |
| Annotation | Reports of attitudes to ageing from older people themselves are scarce. What life course factors predict differences in these attitudes are unknown. The present study aimed to investigate life course influences on attitudes to ageing in healthy, community-dwelling people in the UK. Participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 completed a self-report questionnaire (Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire, AAQ) at around age 75. Demographic, social, physical, cognitive and personality/mood predictors were assessed around age 70. Cognitive ability data were available at age 11. Generally positive attitudes were reported in all three domains: low Psychosocial Loss, high Physical Change, and high Psychological Growth. Hierarchical multiple regression found that demographic, cognitive and physical variables each explained a relatively small proportion of the variance in attitudes to ageing, with the addition of personality/mood variables contributing most significantly. Predictors of attitudes to Psychosocial Loss were high neuroticism; low extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; high anxiety and depression; and more physical disability. Predictors of attitudes to Physical Change were: high extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; female sex; social class; and less physical disability. Personality predictors of attitudes to Psychological Growth were similar. In contrast, less affluent environment, living alone, lower vocabulary scores, and slower walking speed predicted more positive attitudes in this domain. Overall the study concludes that older people's attitudes to ageing are positive. The main predictors of attitude are personality traits. Influencing social circumstances, physical well-being or mood may result in more positive attitudes. Alternatively, interventions to influence attitudes may have a positive impact on associated physical and affective changes. (JL). |
| Accession Number | CPA-150619232 A |
| Classmark | BG: BBK: BG6: DP: TOB |
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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