The present study evaluates the eVect of cognitive training, of psychoeducational training and of physical training on cognitive functioning, physical functioning, physical health, independent living and wellbeing in older people. Also the combination of physical training with cognitive training or psychoeducational training, respectively, was evaluated. In contrast to most training studies with older people, training eVects were evaluated in a longitudinal perspective over 5 years to analyse long-term-results of cognitive and physical activity on older adults. Training eVects were evaluated compared to a no-treatment-control group. Subjects were 375 community residents aged 75-93 years. Up to 5 years after baseline examination, signiWcant training eVects were observed in the group exposed to the combined cognitive and physical training. The physical and cognitive status in the participants of this group could be preserved on a higher level compared to baseline, and the participants displayed fewer depressive symptoms than the notreatment-control group. The results are discussed in the light of recent research regarding the eVects of mental and physical activity on brain function in older adults.

In this article we will describe the evaluation of Antonovsky's 29-items Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29) in a large community sample (n = 2.005) of the German population and the development of the Leipzig Short Scale (SOC-L9), which consists of only 9 items. The SOC-29 has a high internal consistency (alpha = 0.92), however, the SOC-subscales (comprehensibility, manageability, meaningfulness) were correlated with each other. A principal component factor analysis did not identify the 3-factor structure of the SOC-Scale. It appears that the best solution consists of one global factor. The newly developed SOC-L9, conceptualized as an unidimensional scale, is a reliable and valid instrument, which allows to assess the SOC economically. In our study the Sense of Coherence depended on age and gender. Women and older people reported a lower SOC. Furthermore we found significant associations between SOC and different subjective health measures. A high SOC was associated with both a lower extent of subjective body complaints and somatoform symptoms and with minor health-related problems in daily living.

Zusammenfassung. Berichtet werden alters- und geschlechtsspezifische Normwerte (Prozentränge) für die Sense of Coherence Scale von Antonovsky , die auf der Basis der Daten einer im Jahre 1998 in Deutschland durchgeführten bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Erhebung (N = 1.944; Alter 18-92 Jahre) ermittelt wurden.

Background:Only a few population-based studies on the epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSDs) are available to date. Most of the existing studies are from the U.S.A. Against the background of World War II, the extent and long-term effects of war-related traumatic experiences in the German elderly population are of special interest. Nevertheless, population-based data on this topic are lacking to date.

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In a community sample of 394 elderly aged 61 years and older from East and West Germany, diseases, contacts with general practitioners and specialists, the use of medicine, attitudes regarding health and illness, the subjective health, psychic problems, social support, social integration, social burden, and socio-demographic variables were assessed. Based on these data the determinants for the contact of physicians and the use of medicine were analyzed. The results confirmed the frequency of multimorbidity in the elderly; on average we found three different diseases at the same time for each person. In nearly 10% of the sample we found seven diagnoses existing at the same time. 88% had contact with a general practitioner at least once a year, 97% had contact either with a general practitioner or with a specialist once a year. 55.8% took at least one medicine each day. The number of diseases existing at the same time was the most determining variable for the contact of physicians and the use of medicine. Furthermore, the elderly had more contact with physicians and took more medicine if they thought they were susceptible to diseases in a high degree, and if they rated their own health as poor. Fewer contacts with physicians and a lower use of medicine were found in those elderly that rated health behavior as little useful, that had low control beliefs regarding their own health, and that experienced only a low degree of health-related limitations in their everyday life. Furthermore, we found a higher use of medicine if there was little social support. There were no significant age-related or sex-related differences regarding the contact of practitioners or the use of medicine.

In a sample of elderly from the general population aged 60 years and older (N = 599, 53.6 % female; mean age 69.6 years) resilience was assessed as a protective personality factor for physical well-being by means of the resilience scale (RS; Wagnild and Young, 1993). The elderly reported lower subjective body complaints, when the amount of resilience was higher. The results of a regression analysis showed that resilience was a significant predictive variable for physical well-being besides age and sex. The amount of resilience was lower in women as in men. An age-related effect could not be found.