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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.

This paper examines the social networks and patterns of social interactions of two relatively neglected marital status groups of elders, namely the ever-single and the separated/divorced. Drawing on data from the 1985 General Social Survey conducted by Statistics Canada, comparisons are made both between and among the 224 ever-single and 126 separated/divorced Canadians aged 65 and over. When controlling for age, gender, education and health status, ever-single individuals tend to have smaller family networks, a similar number of friends, and similar living arrangements as the separated/divorced. In-person contact with siblings is significantly associated with being ever-single while no differences emerge for contact with other relatives or with friends. Differences among the ever-single and among the separated/divorced are also assessed.

RÉSUMÉSans une définition universellement accepté du vieillissement réussi, chercheurs examiner plus en plus les vues profanes et définitions du vieillissement des personnes âgées. Pour utiliser les définitions non initiés dans les études de vieillissement, cependant, les chercheurs doivent aborder le cohérence de ces définitions. En 2004, les membres survivants de la cohorte mâle du Manitoba Suivi Study (âge moyen : 83 ans) ont été deux fois demandé leur définition du vieillissement réussi. Une échelle de cohérence a été définie, et une catégorie de cohérence a été attribuée sur la base de la similitude des thèmes dans chacune des 654 paires de définitions. Au moins la moitié des thèmes principaux étaient similaire dans 70 pour cent de la définition de paires; 80 pour cent des répondants ont répété au moins un thème. Événements de santé positive ou négative dans l’intervalle de quatre semaines entre les définitions et les caractéristiques spécifiques des répondants n’ont pas variés de catégories. Cette preuve de cohérence confirme notre dépendance continue des définitions du vieillissement réussi.

–Objectives: This paper compares the performance of the GOHAI and the OHIP-14 as measures of the oral health-related quality of life of the compromised elderly. Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 225 participants, most of whom lived in a large geriatric care centre. Results: The mean age of subjects was 83 years and the majority had one or more chronic medical conditions and physical disabilities. Their main oral problems were high rates of tooth loss and xerostomia. Additive and simple count methods were used to derive GOHAI and OHIP-14 scores. Using the additive method, 8.4% had a GOHAI score of zero and 30.3% an OHIP-14 score of zero. Using the simple count method the percentage with a score of zero was 15.1% and 45.8%. Both measures discriminated between dentate subjects with and without one or more dentures, with and without a chewing problem and with and without dry mouth. Both also showed significant associations with self-rated oral health and satisfaction with oral health status. Associations tended to be stronger between GOHAI scores and these variables. The measures were equally good at predicting overall psychological well-being and life satisfaction. Although the GOHAI identified more oral functional and psychosocial impacts than the OHIP-14, neither was markedly superior to the other when used as discriminatory measures. However, the high prevalence of subjects with zero scores may compromise the ability of the OHIP-14 to detect within-subject change.

OBJECTIVES Because the promotion of healthier life styles has become a public health issue of increasing interest, a survey was conducted to compare levels of preventive oral and general health behaviors. METHODS A randomly selected population of voters aged 19 years and older living in a multicultural suburb of metropolitan Toronto, Canada, participated in a mail survey. RESULTS Dentate respondents (n = 976) reported high optimal levels for at least daily toothbrushing (96%); moderate levels of preventive yearly dental examination (69%); and low levels for flossing (22%), using an interdental device (25%), not snacking between meals (12%), and consuming fewer than two cariogenic foods on the previous day (26%). For the general health behaviors, the majority did not smoke (75%), had low alcohol intake (89%), used seat belts (69%), and exercised three times weekly (50%). Additive indices for the oral and general health behaviors were significantly, although weakly, correlated (r = 13; P < .001) and few respondents (31.3%) scored high on both indices. OLS regression on a combined index of oral and general health behaviors found that females, older respondents, and those with higher incomes were more likely to engage in a higher level of health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate the need to develop health promotion life style programs that incorporate both dental and general health components and to target these programs to younger age groups, males, and those with low incomes.

Defining oral self-care as activities undertaken by individuals to maintain or promote dental health, this paper examines the distribution of oral self-cure behaviours in a sample of dentate adults, age 50 and over, living in Ontario, Canada (n= 713). Results are presented separately for two older cohorts, respondents ages 50–64 and those 65 and older, and for females and males. Six oral self-care behaviours were examined: toothbrushing, flossing, use of an interdental device, extra fluoride use, frequency of between meal snacks and ingestion of cariogenic foods. High males of self-care occurred only for tooth brushing. Age groups differed significantly for use of interdental devices, consumption of cariogenic foods and snacking between meals while gender differences were found for tooth brushing, flossing and consuming sweet foods. The need to target older adults and especially older males for oral hygiene information and instruction in order to counteract possible misleading beliefs learned before the advent of current Dental hygiene practices is apparent from these data.