Testing a Model of Successful Aging in Very Old Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Kaspar Roman, Wahl Hans-Werner
Primary Institution: Fresenius Hochschule, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Hypothesis
No empirical test of a contextually enriched model of successful aging in advanced old age exists.
Conclusion
Decontextualizing successful aging may lead to misleadingly low rates in very old adults, highlighting the need for policies that strengthen opportunity structures for aging well.
Supporting Evidence
- Rates of successful aging decreased from 9.1% in those 80-84 years to 0.7% in those 90 years or older according to Rowe and Kahn's criteria.
- Rates for those with many contextually driven opportunity structures were much higher and decreased less steeply from 54.9% (80-84 years) to 44.4% (90 years and older).
- Greater stability of successful aging across 2 years was observed in supportive contexts.
Takeaway
This study looks at how different environments can help older people age successfully, showing that having good opportunities makes a big difference.
Methodology
The study used multiple representative survey samples of very old individuals with a self-report-based assessment of perceived aging context.
Participant Demographics
Very old adults, specifically those aged 80 and older.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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