HEALTH AND ENERGY OUTLOOK PREDICT FUNCTIONAL HEALTH 20 YEARS LATER
2024

How Attitudes About Health Affect Aging

publication

Author Information

Author(s): Taylor Morgan, Lachman Margie

Primary Institution: Brandeis University

Hypothesis

Does a positive outlook on health and energy predict better health outcomes decades later?

Conclusion

Older adults with a positive outlook on their health and energy reported fewer health limitations 20 years later.

Supporting Evidence

  • Positive self-perceptions of aging lead to better cognitive and health outcomes.
  • The study used a longitudinal approach to assess health outlooks over 20 years.

Takeaway

If you think positively about your health now, you might have fewer health problems when you get older.

Methodology

Data from the MIDUS study was used to assess health and energy outlooks and their association with health limitations over 20 years.

Participant Demographics

Participants were adults from the MIDUS study, with data collected at two time points: 1995-1996 and 2013-2014.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1093/geroni/igae098.3273

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