Page 159 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, eds. 2018. Zdravje starostnikov ▪︎ Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
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the young-old and the oldest-old different? posterji | poster presentations
Correlates of adjustment to aging in two age cohorts
Sofia von Humboldt, Isabel Leal
William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do
Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
Introduction: This study aims to compare the correlates of adjustment to aging
(AtA) reported by young-old and oldest-old adults and to build two structural
models to explore the correlates of AtA for these two age groups.
Methods: A cross-national study encompassing a community-dwelling sample
of 823 older adults aged 65 years and older was undertaken. Several measures
were employed to assess AtA, subjective well-being, and sense of coherence.
A questionnaire to determine socio-demographic (sex, age, professional and
marital status, education, household, adult children, family’s annual income, liv-
ing setting, and self-reported spirituality), lifestyle and health-related charac-
teristics (perceived health, recent disease, medication, and leisure) was also
used. Structural equation modeling was employed to investigate a structural
model of AtA, comprising socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related var-
iables, as well as SWB and SOC for both groups.
Results: Leisure was the most significant correlate of AtA for the young-old
(β= .422; p < .001) while self-reported spirituality was the most significant cor-
relate of AtA for the oldest-old (β = .711; p < .001). Significant correlates ex-
plain 67.8 % and 73.1 % of the variability of AtA, respectively.
Discussion and conclusions: The results presented in this study highlighted dif-
ferent perspectives of AtA, outlined in two structural models, for the groups,
and the need of addressing the differences between these, when implement-
ing health care interventions, in particular the relevance of leisure and self-re-
ported spirituality.
Keywords: Community-dwelling older adults, Adjustment to aging,
Correlates; Structural equation modelling
157
Correlates of adjustment to aging in two age cohorts
Sofia von Humboldt, Isabel Leal
William James Center for Research, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do
Tabaco, 34, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
Introduction: This study aims to compare the correlates of adjustment to aging
(AtA) reported by young-old and oldest-old adults and to build two structural
models to explore the correlates of AtA for these two age groups.
Methods: A cross-national study encompassing a community-dwelling sample
of 823 older adults aged 65 years and older was undertaken. Several measures
were employed to assess AtA, subjective well-being, and sense of coherence.
A questionnaire to determine socio-demographic (sex, age, professional and
marital status, education, household, adult children, family’s annual income, liv-
ing setting, and self-reported spirituality), lifestyle and health-related charac-
teristics (perceived health, recent disease, medication, and leisure) was also
used. Structural equation modeling was employed to investigate a structural
model of AtA, comprising socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related var-
iables, as well as SWB and SOC for both groups.
Results: Leisure was the most significant correlate of AtA for the young-old
(β= .422; p < .001) while self-reported spirituality was the most significant cor-
relate of AtA for the oldest-old (β = .711; p < .001). Significant correlates ex-
plain 67.8 % and 73.1 % of the variability of AtA, respectively.
Discussion and conclusions: The results presented in this study highlighted dif-
ferent perspectives of AtA, outlined in two structural models, for the groups,
and the need of addressing the differences between these, when implement-
ing health care interventions, in particular the relevance of leisure and self-re-
ported spirituality.
Keywords: Community-dwelling older adults, Adjustment to aging,
Correlates; Structural equation modelling
157
