Experience of aging in patients with rheumatic disease: A comparison with the general population

Abstract

Objectives: Self-perceptions of aging have been shown to predict mental and physical health and even longevity. This study examined the aging perceptions of patients with rheumatic disease and compared them with the general Dutch population. Methods: Consecutive patients visiting a rheumatology clinic completed the Personal Experience of Aging Scale (PEAS) subscales: physical decline, social loss, continuous growth, and two sentence stems from the SELE instrument (What I like/do not like about getting older . . .) as qualitative measures of the subjective experience of aging. A representative sample from the general Dutch population between 40 and 85 years was used as a comparison group. Participants included in this study were 208 patients with a rheumatic disease and 975 persons from the Dutch Aging Survey (DAS). Results: Both quantitative and qualitative data showed that patients perceived aging more strongly as physical decline. These negative experiences did not extend to social and psychological domains of aging. Age-group comparisons revealed that patients in middle adulthood experienced physical aging similar to older people without a rheumatic disease. Conclusion:The negative experience of aging in patients is limited to the physical domain and does not extend to other domains of life. The negative experience of physical aging even in middle-aged groups warrants further studies on its effects on mental and physical health outcomes and health behavior in patients with rheumatic disease.

Examining the Personal Experience of Aging Scale With the Three Step Test Interview

“…Our results did not replicate the low reliability of the subscale which was found in a previous study with arthritis patients (Bode et al, 2012). Cronbach’s alpha in the current study came close to the level of internal consistency found in the two national surveys (Steverink et al, 2001; Westerhof, 2003) and was in accordance with the proposed criterion for good internal consistency (Nunnally & Bernstein, 1994; Terwee et al, 2007).…”

“…In a prior study with arthritis patients, we used the Personal Experience of Aging Scale (PEAS; Bode, Taal, Westerhof, van Gessel, & van de Laar, 2012; Steverink, Westerhof, Bode, & Dittmann-Kohli, 2001) and compared the outcomes with those in the general population. It was found that the Physical Decline (PD) subscale produced a low internal consistency in the patient sample, relative to the general population samples.…”

Effects of physical and mental health factors and family function on the self‐perception of aging in the elderly of Chinese community

“…Conversely, older adults with family dysfunctions have a more negative self‐perception of ageing. The family is the most basic social unit; it is related closely to the life and health of elderly people and provides their main spiritual and psychological support (Bode et al., 2012 ). If older people receive appropriate care and support from their families, they will be able to negotiate the ageing process successfully and maintain their physical and mental health by developing a positive self‐perception of ageing.…”

Socioeconomic Status of Elderly People at Household Level: A Sociological Study on Rangpur City Corporation

“…From the old person's point of view, the decreased functional ability and suffering from various health complaints also means dependency on family members as well as others for carrying out daily activities (Andersson et al, 2008). These perceptions are, multidirectional and multidimensional, implying that individuals experience both gains and losses in different domains, such as physical, psychological, and social functioning (Bode et al, 2012). It is difficult for older one to leave the position where they get respect, regular income and social network of friends, colleagues and acquaintances; similarly, it causes transition from the daily recognition to one with limited recognition and possible isolation and it creates psychological problems of elderly people (Ghimire & Gurung, 2014).…”