Life course influences of physical and cognitive function and personality on attitudes to aging in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936

Abstract

Background: Reports of attitudes to aging from older people themselves are scarce. Which life course factors predict differences in these attitudes is unknown. Methods: We investigated life course influences on attitudes to aging in healthy, community-dwelling people in the UK. Participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 completed a self-report questionnaire (Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, AAQ) at around age 75 (n = 792, 51.4% male). Demographic, social, physical, cognitive, and personality/mood predictors were assessed, around age 70. Cognitive ability data were available at age 11. Results: Generally positive attitudes were reported in all three domains: low Psychosocial Loss, high Physical Change, and high Psychological Growth. Hierarchical multiple regression found that demographic, cognitive, and physical variables each explained a relatively small proportion of the variance in attitudes to aging, with the addition of personality/mood variables contributing most significantly. Predictors of attitudes to Psychosocial Loss were high neuroticism; low extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; high anxiety and depression; and more physical disability. Predictors of attitudes to Physical Change were: high extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; female sex; social class; and less physical disability. Personality predictors of attitudes to Psychological Growth were similar. In contrast, less affluent environment, living alone, lower vocabulary scores, and slower walking speed predicted more positive attitudes in this domain. Conclusions: Older people's attitudes to aging are generally positive. The main predictors of attitude are personality traits. Influencing social circumstances, physical well-being, or mood may result in more positive attitudes. Alternatively, interventions to influence attitudes may have a positive impact on associated physical and affective changes.

Attitudes to aging in midlife are related to health conditions and mood

“…Depression, even at subclinical levels, has been strongly linked with the most changes to AAQ scores, while controlling for gender, age, and marital status, among over 4,000 individuals from 20 countries (Chachamovich et al, 2008). Attitudes to physical change, in particular, are related to the presence of current depression in this midlife sample, supporting other studies with older populations (Chachamovich et al, 2008;Kalfoss et al, 2010;Bryant et al, 2012;Lucas-Carrasco et al, 2013;Shenkin et al, 2014). Attitudes to physical change, in particular, are related to the presence of current depression in this midlife sample, supporting other studies with older populations (Chachamovich et al, 2008;Kalfoss et al, 2010;Bryant et al, 2012;Lucas-Carrasco et al, 2013;Shenkin et al, 2014).…”

“…Both depression and anxiety are significantly associated with more negative attitudes to aging, supporting findings from a number of other studies (Kalfoss et al, 2010;Bryant et al, 2012;Lucas-Carrasco et al, 2013;Shenkin et al, 2014). Depression, even at subclinical levels, has been strongly linked with the most changes to AAQ scores, while controlling for gender, age, and marital status, among over 4,000 individuals from 20 countries (Chachamovich et al, 2008).…”

“…Negative attitudes to aging appear to be mood-dependent (Laidlaw et al, 2007;Bryant et al, 2012;Lucas-Carrasco et al, 2013;Shenkin et al, 2014), as well as being closely linked to individual health. These associations remain significant for those with diagnosed arthritis, hypertension, asthma, lifetime depression, and anxiety, as well as for those who are currently depressed, after controlling for sociodemographic factors and current depression.…”

“…Even relatively minor symptoms of depression were associated with negative attitudes to aging, a pattern that increased with greater symptoms of depression in a sample of over 4,000 participants aged 60 years and over across 20 countries (Chachamovich et al, 2008). A recent UK study, of adults born in 1936, identified low mood as an important influence on attitudes toward aging, possibly by activating negative age stereotypes (Shenkin et al, 2014). All AAQ domains showed negative associations with depression in Canada and Norway with adults aged 60 years and over (Kalfoss et al, 2010).…”

Development of a short form of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ)

“…Previous studies have also demonstrated positive attitudes on the PL and PC subscales that are associated with lower levels of anxiety (Bryant et al, ; Shenkin et al, ) and less physical disabilities (Bryant et al, ; Shenkin et al, ). Moreover, evidence suggests that individuals with medical conditions such as dementia (Trigg et al, ) and musculoskeletal pain (Rashid et al, ) report negative attitudes on the PL subscale.…”