Associations of mental health and chronic physical illness during childhood with major depression in later life.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether childhood chronic physical illness burden was associated with major depression in later life (>50 years) and whether this relationship was mediated by childhood mental health status. METHOD: Data came from the 2016 United States Health and Retirement Study (n = 18,483). Logistic regression tested associations of childhood chronic physical illness burden with childhood mental health status and major depression in later life. Path analysis quantified mediation of the association between chronic physical illness burden and major depression by childhood mental health status. RESULTS: One standard deviation increase in childhood chronic physical illness burden was associated with 1.34 (95% CI = 1.25, 1.43) times higher odds of major depression in later life. Childhood mental health status explained 53.4% (95% CI: 37.3%, 69.6%) of this association. In follow-up analyses of categorical diagnoses, having difficulty seeing, ear problems or infections, a respiratory disorder, asthma, an allergic condition, epilepsy or seizures, migraines or severe headaches, heart trouble, stomach problems, or a disability lasting ≥6 months was associated with major depression in later life with mediation by childhood mental health status. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study indicate that children with a higher chronic physical illness burden are more likely to have major depression in later life and poor mental health during childhood mediates this relationship. Further research is needed to determine whether increased screening and treatment of psychiatric symptoms in pediatrics can decrease the burden of major depression across the life course.

Improving Safe Mobility: An Assessment of Vehicles and Technologies among a Large Cohort of Older Drivers.

Evidence suggests that older driver safety may be improved by good vehicle maintenance, in-vehicle advanced technologies, and proper vehicle adaptations. This study explored the prevalence of several measures of vehicle maintenance and damage among older drivers through inspection of their vehicles. We also investigated the prevalence of in-vehicle technologies and aftermarket adaptations. Vehicle inspections were conducted by trained research staff using an objective, standardized procedure. This procedure, developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, was based on a review of inspection checklists used by automobile dealerships and the project team's expertise. The study used baseline data from vehicles of 2988 participants in the multi-site Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study. Among this cohort, vehicles were well maintained, had little damage, and contained a range of advanced technologies but few aftermarket adaptations. Implications of study findings for occupational therapy practice are discussed.

Very preterm birth before arrival at hospital.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to report perinatal characteristics of very preterm births before arrival (BBAs) at a hospital, and perinatal and infant mortality rates up to one year, comparing BBAs with births in a hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population-based cohort study of 22-31 weeks' gestation births in the state of Victoria, Australia from 1990-2009. BBAs were defined as unintentional births at home or on route to hospital. Perinatal data were obtained from the Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria. Perinatal and infant mortality data comparing BBAs with births in hospitals were analysed by logistic regression, adjusted for gestational age, birthweight and sex. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-three BBAs were recorded: 51 (38%) stillbirths and 82 (62%) livebirths. Compared with births in a hospital, BBAs were less mature (26.3 weeks (SD 2.9) vs 27.7 weeks (SD 2.8), P < 0.001) and a higher proportion were born to teenagers: 13% versus 5% (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.86, P < 0.001). BBAs were significantly more likely to be stillborn (aOR 2.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41, 3.23, P < 0.001) die within 28 days of livebirth (aOR 2.97, 95% CI 1.54, 5.73, P = 0.001) or die within a year of livebirth (aOR 2.87, 95% CI 1.51, 5.46, P = 0.001) compared with hospital births. Overall, 54 BBAs survived to one year (41% all BBAs, 67% liveborn BBAs), compared with 69% of hospital births (87% of livebirths). CONCLUSIONS: Very preterm birth before arrival is more common in teenagers and is associated with significantly increased risks of perinatal and infant mortality compared with birth in a hospital.

Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging and Lower Rate of Overnight Hospitalization in the US Population Over Age 50.

OBJECTIVE: The aging of the baby boomer generation has led to an unprecedented rise in the number of US adults reaching old age, prompting an urgent call for innovative and cost-effective ways to address the increasing health care needs of the aging population. Studying the role of psychosocial factors on health care use could offer insight into how to minimize hospitalizations among older adults. METHODS: We use prospective data from a subsample of 4735 participants (mean [standard deviation] age = 69 [8.79] years, 61% women) from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study of US adults over age 50, to examine the association between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and self-reported overnight hospitalizations after adjusting for a comprehensive list of sociodemographic, health-related, and behavioral factors. RESULTS: Over the 4-year follow-up period, there were a total of 5196 overnight hospitalizations, and 44% of the sample reported being hospitalized overnight at least once. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, each standard deviation increase in positive SPA was associated with a lower rate of overnight hospitalization (incidence rate ratio = 0.75; 95% confidence interval = 0.71-0.80, p < .001). After dividing respondents into quartiles of SPA, we observed a dose-response relationship with individuals in higher quartiles showing increasingly lower rates of overnight hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Positive self-perceptions of aging are associated with a lower rate of hospitalization among older adults over a 4-year period. Future research should examine the factors that contribute to older adults' SPA and explore the pathways through which attitudes toward aging influence the use of health care resources.

Personality Polygenes, Positive Affect, and Life Satisfaction.

Approximately half of the variation in wellbeing measures overlaps with variation in personality traits. Studies of non-human primate pedigrees and human twins suggest that this is due to common genetic influences. We tested whether personality polygenic scores for the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) domains and for item response theory (IRT) derived extraversion and neuroticism scores predict variance in wellbeing measures. Polygenic scores were based on published genome-wide association (GWA) results in over 17,000 individuals for the NEO-FFI and in over 63,000 for the IRT extraversion and neuroticism traits. The NEO-FFI polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction in 7 cohorts, positive affect in 12 cohorts, and general wellbeing in 1 cohort (maximal N = 46,508). Meta-analysis of these results showed no significant association between NEO-FFI personality polygenic scores and the wellbeing measures. IRT extraversion and neuroticism polygenic scores were used to predict life satisfaction and positive affect in almost 37,000 individuals from UK Biobank. Significant positive associations (effect sizes <0.05%) were observed between the extraversion polygenic score and wellbeing measures, and a negative association was observed between the polygenic neuroticism score and life satisfaction. Furthermore, using GWA data, genetic correlations of -0.49 and -0.55 were estimated between neuroticism with life satisfaction and positive affect, respectively. The moderate genetic correlation between neuroticism and wellbeing is in line with twin research showing that genetic influences on wellbeing are also shared with other independent personality domains.

Life satisfaction and frequency of doctor visits.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying positive psychological factors that reduce health care use may lead to innovative efforts that help build a more sustainable and high-quality health care system. Prospective studies indicate that life satisfaction is associated with good health behaviors, enhanced health, and longer life, but little information about the association between life satisfaction and health care use is available. We tested whether higher life satisfaction was prospectively associated with fewer doctor visits. We also examined potential interactions between life satisfaction and health behaviors. METHODS: Participants were 6379 adults from the Health and Retirement Study, a prospective and nationally representative panel study of American adults older than 50 years. Participants were tracked for 4 years. We analyzed the data using a generalized linear model with a gamma distribution and log link. RESULTS: Higher life satisfaction was associated with fewer doctor visits. On a 6-point life satisfaction scale, each unit increase in life satisfaction was associated with an 11% decrease in doctor visits--after adjusting for sociodemographic factors (relative risk = 0.89, 95% confidence interval = 0.86-0.93). The most satisfied respondents (n = 1121; 17.58%) made 44% fewer doctor visits than did the least satisfied (n = 182; 2.85%). The association between higher life satisfaction and reduced doctor visits remained even after adjusting for baseline health and a wide range of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health-related covariates (relative risk = 0.96, 95% confidence interval = 0.93-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Higher life satisfaction is associated with fewer doctor visits, which may have important implications for reducing health care costs.

Satisfaction with aging and use of preventive health services.

OBJECTIVE: Preventive health service use is relatively low among older age groups. We hypothesized that aging satisfaction would be associated with increased use of preventive health services four years later. METHOD: We conducted multiple logistic regression analyses on a sample of 6177 people from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study of U.S. adults over the age of 50 (M age=70.6; women n=3648; men n=2529). RESULTS: Aging satisfaction was not associated with obtaining flu shots. However, in fully-adjusted models, each standard deviation increase in aging satisfaction was associated with higher odds of reporting service use for cholesterol tests (OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.00-1.20). Further, women with higher aging satisfaction were more likely to obtain a mammogram/x-ray (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.06-1.29) or Pap smear (OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.00-1.21). Among men, the odds of obtaining a prostate exam increased with higher aging satisfaction (OR=1.20 95% CI=1.09-1.34). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that aging satisfaction potentially influences preventive health service use after age 50.

Spousal social support and strain: impacts on health in older couples.

Using a nationally representative sample of couples aged 51+ in the United States (N = 1,923 couples), the current study investigated whether both partners' perceptions of relationship support and strain are associated with an individual's self-rated health and functional limitations. The sample had an average age of 67.17 years (SD = 9.0; range 50-97). Actor-Partner Interdependence Models adjusting for couple interdependencies were applied using multilevel models. After accounting for age, education, gender, race, and couple differences in length of marriage, results indicate that individual perceptions of support were significantly associated with higher self-rated health and fewer functional limitations. These individual-level benefits increased if the spouse also perceived positive support and low strain. Finally, the negative association of an individual's perceived support on functional limitations was greater in those with a spouse reporting low levels of perceived strain. Findings are discussed relative to theory on behavioral and psychological pathways between partners' perceptions of support and health.

Social network types and well-being among South Korean older adults.

OBJECTIVE: The social networks of older individuals reflect personal life history and cultural factors. Despite these two sources of variation, four similar network types have been identified in Europe, North America, Japan, and China: namely 'restricted', 'family', 'friend', and 'diverse'. This study identified the social network types of Korean older adults and examined differential associations of the network types with well-being. METHOD: The analysis used data from the 2008 wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA: N = 4251, age range 65-108). We used a two-step cluster analytical approach to identify network types from seven indicators of network structure and function. Regression models determined associations between network types and well-being outcomes, including life satisfaction and depressive symptomatology. RESULTS: Cluster analysis of indicators of network structure and function revealed four types, including the restricted, friend, and diverse types. Instead of a family type, we found a couple-focused type. The young-old (age 65-74) were more likely to be in the couple-focused type and more of the oldest old (age 85+) belonged to the restricted type. Compared with the restricted network, older adults in all other networks were more likely to report higher life satisfaction and lower depressive symptomatology. DISCUSSION: Life course and cohort-related factors contribute to similarities across societies in network types and their associations with well-being. Korean-specific life course and socio-historical factors, however, may contribute to our unique findings about network types.

Can Retrospective Reports Provide Accurate Job History Information? A Comparison With Concurrent Reports in a National Prospective Study of Older Adults.

Background and Objectives: The growing interest in the impact of lifetime occupational exposures on later-life health underscores the need to expand and evaluate the quality of data resources. The present study took advantage of a retrospective life history survey fielded within the context of the Health and Retirement Study to assess the accuracy of retrospectively obtained information on job history. We evaluated hypotheses related to job history and respondent characteristics to understand more about factors associated with recall accuracy. Research Design and Methods: We used data from the Life History Mail Survey (LHMS), a self-administered survey conducted in 2015 and 2017. We compared the match rate of work status collected in the LHMS questionnaire with data collected concurrently during HRS core face-to-face or phone interviews from 1992 through 2016 with respect to jobs held at the time of the interview. We also conducted a limited set of comparisons of occupation and industry match. Results: The sample was 61.79% women, 82.12% White, and 8.57% Hispanic with a mean age of 74.70 years. The overall work status match rate was 83%. Jobs held longer ago were recalled with less accuracy. Jobs held for longer durations and that were full-time rather than part-time were recalled with greater accuracy. More complex job histories that involved a larger number of jobs were also associated with a lower match rate. Higher levels of conscientiousness and cognitive functioning were both associated with a higher match between the two sources of work status information. The occupation match rate was 69%, and the industry match rate was 77%. Discussion and Implications: A self-administered, paper-and-pencil questionnaire attempting to measure decades-long histories of autobiographically important dimensions of life can provide reasonably accurate historical employment information. Several factors are likely to influence the relative accuracy of recalled information.

Interpersonal, Community, and Societal Stressors Mediate Black-White Memory Disparities.

OBJECTIVES: Structural racism creates contextual stressors that disproportionately affect Black, relative to White, older adults in the United States and may contribute to worse cognitive health. We examined the extent to which interpersonal, community, and societal stressors uniquely explain Black-White disparities in initial memory and memory change. METHODS: The sample included 14,199 non-Latino Black and White older adults (Mage = 68.32, 19.8% Black) from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study who completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline and a word list memory task every 2 years over an 8-year period. Interpersonal, community, and societal stressors were operationalized as self-reported everyday discrimination, neighborhood physical disorder, and subjective societal status, respectively. Latent growth curves modeled longitudinal memory performance. Stressors were modeled simultaneously and allowed to correlate. Covariates included age, sex, education, wealth, parental education, and Southern residence. RESULTS: Compared to White participants, Black participants experienced more discrimination (ß = -0.004, standard error [SE] = 0.001, p < .001), more neighborhood physical disorder (ß = -0.009, SE = 0.002, p < .001), and lower perceived societal status (ß = -0.002, SE = 0.001, p = .001), each of which uniquely mediated the racial disparity in initial memory. Sensitivity analyses utilizing proxy-imputed memory scores revealed an additional racial disparity in memory change, wherein Black participants evidenced a faster decline than White participants. This disparity in memory change was only uniquely mediated by more everyday discrimination among Black participants. DISCUSSION: Elements of structural racism may contribute to cognitive disparities via disproportionate stress experiences at multiple contextual levels among Black older adults. Future research should consider multilevel protective factors that buffer against negative impacts of racism on health.

Relocation Later in Life and Contact Frequency With Friends: Do Contact Modes Matter?

We examined changes in the frequencies of in-person, telephone, and written or email contact with friends in older adults who move short or longer distances. 3820 adults aged 50 years or older were included from a nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study. Using ordinal logistic regression, we found differential effects of geographical distances on the in-person, telephone, and write or email contact with friends. Specifically, in-person contact frequency was most sensitive to distance. Telephone contact frequency was only impacted by long-distance moves; however, email contact frequency was not influenced by distance. Findings suggest that the impact of relocation on contact frequency exists even though communication technology gives older adults flexibility in maintaining frequent contact with their friends. We discuss our findings through the lens of socioemotional selective theory and social convoy model. Future studies could examine factors linked to changes in the amount and modes of contact.

Early learning difficulties, childhood stress, race, and risk of cognitive impairment among US adults over age 50: A cross-sectional analysis.

Background and Aims: Most literature linking childhood factors to cognitive health outcomes has focused on educational attainment-defined as years of education attained. However, less has been studied about the other aspects of education, such as early learning problems, and stressful family environments. This study examined whether early learning problems and childhood stressors were associated with mid- and later life cognitive impairment among US adults, and if these associations varied by race. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) along with respondents' early educational experiences from the 2015 to 2017 Life History Mail Survey (N = 9703). Early learning problems were defined as having any of the following: scholastic problems (reading, writing, mathematics), speaking/language issues, and sensorimotor issues- hearing, vision, speech, and motor-coordination. Cognitive status was classified as three levels (normal, cognitively impaired not demented [CIND], and demented) using the HRS Langa-Weir algorithm. Multinomial logistic regression models using generalized logits, estimated relative risk ratios (RRRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with adjustment for sociodemographic factors. Results: Having at least one early learning problem was associated with increased risk of later life cognitive impairment (RRR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.34-2.29 for dementia, RRR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.20-1.67 for CIND). Parental death before the age of 16 was associated with 17% higher risk of CIND in later life (RRR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01-1.34). However, learning problem-related differences in risk of cognitive impairment were dependent on race (learning problems × race, p = 0.0001). In the demented group, Blacks were 2.7 times more likely to be demented (RRR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.69-4.17) amongst older adults that experienced childhood learning problems. Conclusions: Early life exposures predicted risk of cognitive impairment. Policies and interventions that enhance diagnosis of early learning problems and improve childhood social contexts are needed to promote healthy cognitive aging amongst Americans, regardless of race.

Life course engagement in enriching activities: When and how does it matter for cognitive aging?

Growing evidence suggests that participation in enriching activities (physical, social, and mental) across the life course is beneficial for cognitive functioning in older age. However, few studies have examined the effects of enrichment across the entire life course within the same participants. Using 2,931 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, we linked self-report data from later life and retrospective self-report data from early life and midlife to cognitive performance after Age 65. We categorized participants as having either high (top ∼25%) or average to low (bottom ∼75%) level of enrichment during each life period. Thus, eight groups were identified that reflected unique patterns of enrichment during early, mid, and later life (e.g., high-high-high). Using growth curve modeling, we found that life course enrichment patterns predicted both cognitive functioning and the rate of cognitive decline across five time points spanning 8 years (Aim 1). Groups with high enrichment during at least one life period had higher performance and slower decline in older age, compared to those who had average to low levels of enrichment throughout all three life periods. We also found that high enrichment during each life period independently predicted better cognitive performance and that high enrichment during early and later life also predicted slower cognitive decline (Aim 2). These findings support the idea that high enrichment is beneficial for cognition in later life and that the effects are long-lasting, even when individuals are inconsistent in enrichment engagement throughout the entire life course. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Impact of Caregiving History on Later-Life Self-Perceptions of Aging.

OBJECTIVES: Theories suggest that self-perceptions of aging (SPA) reflect structural and cultural ageism together with an individual's personal life experiences. We examine the impact of an individual's history of informal caregiving on their SPA. METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, N = 8,372, age range 50-102 years), we investigated caregiving history as a determinant of later-life SPA. HRS participants provided reports of up to 5 episodes of caregiving, the life-course timing of each episode (start/end year), and their relationship with the care recipients. SPA was measured by the HRS Attitudes Toward Own Aging Scale. We conducted linear regressions to examine associations between specific caregiving histories and later-life SPA. Models included controls for current sociodemographic and health status. RESULTS: Individuals who were ever a caregiver reported more negative SPA than noncaregivers. Variations in the impact of histories of caregiving were also revealed. Specifically, compared to people who had cared for adult(s) only, HRS participants who cared for both a child with special needs and an adult reported more negative SPA later in life. DISCUSSION: The study provides insight into potential life-course precursors of SPA and highlights the importance of conceptualizing caregiving history as a complex life experience that might affect an individual's SPA later in life.

Work Expectations, Depressive Symptoms, and Passive Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Employment and work transitions (e.g., retirement) influence mental health. However, how psychosocial contexts such as anticipation and uncertainty about work transitions, irrespective of the transitions themselves, relate to mental health is unclear. This study examined the relationships of work expectations with depressive symptoms, major depression episodes (MDE), and passive suicidal ideation over a 10-year period among the "Baby Boom" cohort of the Health and Retirement Study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Analysis was limited to 13,247 respondents aged 53-70 observed from 2008 to 2018. Past-year depressive symptoms, MDE, and passive suicidal ideation were indexed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form. Expectations regarding working full-time after age 62 were assessed using a probability scale (0%-100%). Mixed-effect logistic regressions with time-varying covariates were used to assess the relationship of work expectations with mental health, accounting for demographics, health status, and functioning, and stratified by baseline employment status. RESULTS: At baseline, higher work expectations were inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Longitudinally, higher expectations were associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.91, 0.94). This association was more pronounced among respondents not working at baseline (ORNot working = 0.93 vs ORWorking = 0.96). Greater uncertainty (i.e., expectations near 50%) was also inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Results were similar for past-year MDE and passive suicidal ideation. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Expectations (overall likelihood and uncertainty), as indicators of psychosocial context, provide insight into the processes that link work transitions with depression risk.

Sexual Function, Anxiety, Depression and Coping After Myocardial Infarction: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Myocardial infarction (MI) may decrease sexual function and satisfaction in men and can be influenced by anxiety, depression, and sexual fear. However, few studies have examined short-term changes in sexual function over time in a post-MI population. This study aimed to longitudinally describe changes in sexual function and satisfaction in a sample of men post-MI. Methods: Eighteen patients were recruited from a Midwestern hospital. Surveys were mailed two weeks and three months post discharge. Sexual function was measured with the Male Sexual Function Index. Other variables collected included sexual fear (Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire), anxiety and depressive symptoms (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety and Depression 4a), and use of coping strategies (Coping Strategy Indicator). Results: Sexual function scores increased in the entire sample from 8.9 (SD 7.3) at two weeks to 14.6 (SD 8.9) at three months (18.8% improvement, p=0.04). Men who were sexually active improved their scores by 27.3% (p=0.01), while those who were not sexually active decreased their scores by 2.3% (p=0.5). Depressive symptoms and anxiety scores were low and largely stable across timepoints, though there were some improvements among men who were sexually active compared to those who were not. Decreased utilization of avoidance coping strategies was reported in sexually active versus inactive men. Conclusion: While sexual function improved within a short-time period post discharge among sexually active men post-MI, further research is needed with a larger sample to understand these changes across a longer period. Additional research is also warranted to examine any potential influence of psychosocial predictors.

A Preliminary Study of Short-Term Sexual Function and Satisfaction Among Men Post-Myocardial Infarction.

Sexuality is an important component of holistic quality of life, and myocardial infarction (MI) negatively influences many aspects of sexuality, including sexual function. However, there is limited literature that examines sexuality beyond the most basic physical components. This pilot study aimed to describe the relationships between the physical, psychologic, and social domains of holistic sexuality at an early timepoint post-MI. Adult men post-MI were mailed self-report surveys at 2 weeks post discharge. Physical domains of sexuality were measured with the arousal, orgasm, erection, lubrication, and pain subscales of the Male Sexual Function Index (MSFI). The social domain utilized the sexual satisfaction subscale of the MSFI. The psychologic domain included the desire subscale of the MSFI and sexual fear (Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire). Spearman correlations were estimated to examine associations among the different measurement subscales. Twenty-four men post-MI were analyzed. Average scores on the MSFI were 9.2 (SD 7.7). Desire and satisfaction were the highest scoring subscales among men when compared with other subscales (i.e. erection, lubrication). There was minimal evidence supporting a relationship between sexual fear and function. Additional research is also needed with larger samples, and among women post-MI.

Associations Between Satisfaction With Aging and Health and Well-being Outcomes Among Older US Adults.

Importance: Researchers and policy makers are expanding the focus from risk factors of disease to seek potentially modifiable health factors that enhance people's health and well-being. Understanding if and to what degree aging satisfaction (one's beliefs about their own aging) is associated with a range of health and well-being outcomes aligns with the interests of older adults, researchers, health systems, and politicians. Objectives: To evaluate associations between changes in aging satisfaction and 35 subsequent health and well-being outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used data from the Health and Retirement Study, a national, diverse, and longitudinal sample of 13 752 US adults older than 50 years, to evaluate if changes in aging satisfaction (between combined cohorts from 2008 and 2010 and 4 years later, in 2012 and 2014) were subsequently associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being in 2016 and 2018. Statistical analysis was conducted from July 24, 2020, to November 6, 2021. Exposure: Aging satisfaction. Main Outcomes and Measures: A total of 35 physical (eg, stroke), behavioral (eg, sleep problems), and psychosocial (eg, depression) outcomes were evaluated using multiple linear and generalized linear regression models. Data from all participants, irrespective of how their levels of aging satisfaction changed from the prebaseline to baseline waves, were incorporated into the overall estimate, which was conditional on prior satisfaction. Results: During the 4-year follow-up period, participants (N = 13 752; 8120 women [59%]; mean [SD] age, 65 [10] years; median age, 64 years [IQR, 56-72 years]; 7507 of 11 824 married [64%]) in the highest (vs lowest) quartile of aging satisfaction had improved physical health (eg, 43% reduced risk of mortality [risk ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.46-0.71]), better health behaviors (eg, 23% increased likelihood of frequent physical activity [risk ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.12-1.34]), and improved psychosocial well-being (eg, higher positive affect [ß = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.44-0.58] and lower loneliness [ß = -0.41; 95% CI, -0.48 to -0.33]), conditional on prebaseline aging satisfaction. Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that higher aging satisfaction is associated with improved subsequent health and well-being. These findings highlight potential outcomes if scalable aging satisfaction interventions were developed and deployed at scale; they also inform the efforts of policy makers and interventionists who aim to enhance specific health and well-being outcomes. Aging satisfaction may be an important target for future interventions aiming to improve later-life health and well-being.

Subjective age and attitudes toward own aging across two decades of historical time.

A large body of empirical evidence has accumulated showing that the experience of old age is "younger," more "agentic," and "happier" than ever before. However, it is not yet known whether historical improvements in well-being, control beliefs, cognitive functioning, and other outcomes generalize to individuals' views on their own aging process. To examine historical changes in such views on aging, we compared matched cohorts of older adults within two independent studies that assessed differences across a two-decade interval, the Berlin Aging Studies (BASE; 1990/1993 vs. 2017/2018, each n = 256, Mage = 77) and the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS; 1995/1996 vs. 2013/14, each n = 848, Mage = 67). Consistent across four different dimensions of individuals' subjective views on aging (age felt, age appeared, desired age, and attitudes toward own aging) in the BASE and corroborated with subjective age felt and subjective age desired in the MIDUS, there was no evidence whatsoever that older adults of today have more favorable views on how they age than older adults did two decades ago. Further, heterogeneity in views on aging increased across two decades in the MIDUS but decreased in BASE. Also consistent across studies, associations of views on aging with sociodemographic, health, cognitive, and psychosocial correlates did not change across historical times. We discuss possible reasons for our findings, including the possibility that individual age views may have become increasingly decoupled from societal age views. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).