1. A five-year study of older adults’ health incongruence: Consistency, functional changes and subsequent survival
- Author
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Barbara J. Payne, Joelle C. Ruthig, and Judith G. Chipperfield
- Subjects
Male ,Aging ,Self Disclosure ,Cross-sectional study ,Health Status ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Pessimism ,Interviews as Topic ,Optimism ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Applied Psychology ,Survival analysis ,Aged ,media_common ,Self-rated health ,Aged, 80 and over ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Manitoba ,General Medicine ,General Chemistry ,Survival Analysis ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Self-disclosure ,Female ,Psychology ,Attitude to Health ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
In later life, optimistic health appraisals promote well-being and survival, whereas pessimistic appraisals can be harmful. This study contrasted subjective health (SH) appraisals with objective health (OH) to identify realists, whose ratings were congruent (SH = OH), distinguishing them from health pessimists (SH OH) and health optimists (SH OH) with incongruent ratings. Health congruence and functional well-being of 757 older adults were assessed via two interviews conducted 5 years apart. We examined consistency in health congruence, and among those with persistent OH, we examined 5-year functional well-being changes that corresponded with SH shifts and determined whether SH shifts predicted 30-month survival. Most realists remained realists; health optimists and pessimists tended to become realists. Increased health optimism corresponded with enhanced functioning; increased pessimism corresponded with decreased functioning. Among realists, increasingly positive SH predicted survival. Findings have implications for quality and length of life among older adults with chronic health conditions. more...
- Published
- 2011
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