Personality and health in middle age as predictors for well-being and health in old age.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Perrig-Chiello P
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5547283 | biostudies-other | 2009 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Similar Datasets
Project description:The aim of the study was to predict both adaptive psychological functioning (well-being) and adaptive social functioning (career stability) in middle adulthood based on behaviors observed in toddlerhood and personality traits measured in adolescence. 83 people participated in an ongoing longitudinal study started in 1961 (58% women). Based on children's behavior in toddlerhood, three temperamental dimensions were identified - positive affectivity, negative affectivity and disinhibition. In adolescence, extraversion and neuroticism were measured at the age of 16 years. Various aspects of well-being were used as indicators of adaptive psychological functioning in adulthood: life satisfaction, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Career stability was used as an indicator of adaptive social functioning. Job careers of respondents were characterized as stable, unstable or changeable. Extraversion measured at the age of 16 proved to be the best predictor of well-being indicators; in case of self-efficacy it was also childhood disinhibition. Extraversion in adolescence, childhood disinhibition and negative affectivity predicted career stability. Findings are discussed in the context of a theoretical framework of higher order factors of the Big Five personality constructs, stability and plasticity.
| S-EPMC4412673 | biostudies-other
Project description:Parenthood, marital status and social networks have been shown to relate to the well-being and mental health of older people. Using a large sample of respondents aged 50 and older from 16 European countries, we identify the associations of well-being and mental health with family status. Making use of detailed social network data of the respondents, we also identify how different social support networks correlate with the well-being and health indicators. We observe positive associations for all network types, over and beyond any direct associations of family status with well-being. Results suggest that non-residential children are important providers of social support for their parents at older age.
| S-EPMC6656342 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesHaving friends in old age is linked to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Yet, we know little about older adults' emotional experiences when they encounter friends throughout the day. This study examined whether older adults reported (a) more pleasantness, (b) fewer conversations about stressful experiences, and (c) better mood when they had contact with friends compared to when they had contact with other social partners or were alone throughout the day. We also examined whether these experiences varied by the friendship closeness.MethodAdults aged 65+ (n = 313) from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study provided background information and listed and described their close social partners. Participants then completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys every 3 hr for 5 to 6 days where they reported their encounters with social partners, rated the pleasantness and indicated whether they discussed stressful issues during these encounters, and rated positive and negative mood.ResultsMultilevel models revealed that encounters with friends were more pleasant and were associated with fewer discussions about stressful experiences compared to encounters with romantic partners or family members throughout the day. Encounters with friends were also associated with better mood, though this link only held for encounters with friends who were not considered close.DiscussionFindings are discussed in terms of functionalist theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, relationship ambivalence, and the benefits of less close ties. This work facilitates the understanding of how daily contact with friends can promote older adults' emotional well-being.
| S-EPMC7887723 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere is still a lack of systematic investigation of comprehensive contextual factors of subjective well-being (SWB) among Chinese oldest-old. This study aimed to explore sociodemographic, health-related, and social predictors of SWB among Chinese oldest-old using a large and representative sample.MethodsThe study included 49,069 individuals aged 80 and older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a prospective, nationwide, community-based study conducted from 1998 to 2014. SWB was measured by eight items covering life satisfaction, positive affect (optimism, happiness, personal control, and conscientiousness), and negative affect (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness). Generalized estimating equation models were used to explore the predictors of SWB.ResultsWe found that age, gender, ethnic group, education, primary occupation before retirement, current marital status, and place of residence were sociodemographic predictors of SWB among the Chinese oldest-old. The health-related predictors included self-rated health, visual function, hearing function, diet quality, smoking status, drinking status, and exercise status. SWB was influenced by some social factors, such as the number of biological siblings, the number of children, leisure activities, financial independence, and access to adequate medical service. In particular, self-rated health, access to adequate medical services, exercise status, and place of residence exert a stronger effect than other factors.ConclusionsSWB in the oldest-old is influenced by a large number of complex sociodemographic, health-related, and social factors. Special attention should be paid to the mental health of centenarians, women, rural residents, widowed, physically disabled, and childless oldest-old people. Relevant agencies can improve physical activities, leisure activities, financial support, and medical services to promote the well-being of the oldest-old.
| S-EPMC7885581 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Recent genomic, psychological, and developmental research shows that human personality is organized as a complex hierarchy that ascends from individual traits in many specific situations to multi-trait profiles in two domains that regulate emotional reactivity (temperament) or goals and values (character), and finally to three integrated temperament-character networks that regulate learning to maintain well-being in changing conditions. We carried out person-centered analyses of the components of subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) to personality in both adolescents (N = 1739) and adults (N = 897). Personality was considered at each level of its organization (trait, temperament or character profiles, and joint temperament-character networks). We show for the first time that negative affect and life satisfaction are dependent on the personality network for intentional self-control, whereas positive affect is dependent on the personality network for self-awareness that underlies the human capacities for healthy longevity, creativity, and prosocial values.
| S-EPMC9969391 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: In different parts of the world new models of senior housing have rapidly appeared, which indicates that existing housing and care models are not fulfilling the hopes and needs of current and new generations of older people. Material and Methods: This qualitative study focuses on one type of communal senior housing complex located in a mid-sized town in Central Finland. The complex was designed to have accessible low-maintenance apartments and common spaces, and to be near easily accessible green spaces, amenities, services, and public transport. The complex has a part-time community coordinator. The minimum age limit is set at 55 years. The data consists of 36 qualitative interviews with residents (21 women, 15 men) aged 66-93, conducted between November 2018 and February 2019. The semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data analysis focused on how different aspects of the manmade, natural, and social environment were portrayed in residents' descriptions of day-to-day life. Theoretical framework adopted for the study draws from the ideas of environmental and geographic gerontology. The data was analyzed using positioning analysis which is one form of discourse analysis. Results: The senior housing in this study fulfilled its promise of providing accessible a physical and social environment which encourages and enables residents to be physically active and independent, yet which also provides social activities and feeling safe. In this respect, the senior housing complex offered an environment which supports well-being and healthy aging. However, the residents' interpretations of what the senior housing complex represented varied. For some of the residents it was first and foremost a social place, which provided opportunities for social contacts and social activities. For some of the residents the most important were maintenance-free apartments and outdoor areas. The question remains as to how social practices, in the form of government policies and market systems can support the development of different kinds of senior housing which are affordable and accessible for all.
| S-EPMC7890193 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study addresses the links between different dimensions of intergenerational family relations (solidarity, conflict, and ambivalence) and subjective well-being (life satisfaction, and positive and negative affects) of older people (aged 75+) using a comparative perspective from a random urban sample in five countries (Norway, England, Germany, Spain, and Israel). Comparative descriptive analyses and multivariate models are presented. Three general conclusions can be drawn. First, the country variables contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, where Israel was most different from the other four countries, except for positive affects, for which Spain and Israel differed from Norway, England, and Germany. However, the countries explained more of the variance for positive and negative affects compared with life satisfaction. Second, the intergenerational family solidarity dimensions contributed significantly to the explained variance for all three components of well-being, although they were differentially related to the different aspects of subjective well-being. Third, personal resources, mainly physical functioning and financial adequacy, were related to all of the well-being variables, although their relative contribution was much stronger for life satisfaction. The importance of intergenerational family relations and personal resources for the subjective well-being of older people and the importance of using multiple measures for outcome variables of well-being are discussed.
| S-EPMC5547300 | biostudies-other
Project description:In this study we sought to explore the association between preschool instructional approach and health and well-being at age 35 for a large sample of low-income children. Participants included 989 low-income, minority children who attended Child-Parent Center preschools as part of the Chicago Longitudinal Study from 1983 to 1985. Preschool curriculum was obtained from teacher reports and validated by program evaluators. These data were categorized by raters as: high teacher-directed and child-initiated; low teacher-directed and child-initiated; low teacher-directed and high child-initiated; or high teacher-directed and low child-initiated. Data on adult outcomes were obtained through surveys and administrative records. Those in preschool classrooms with high teacher-directed and child-initiated instruction had increased odds of having a livable wage (Odds Ratio(OR) = 2.02, p = 0.001), and decreased odds of felony arrest (OR = 0.39; p < 0.001), jail or incarceration (OR = 0.35, p = 0.001), and conviction (OR = 0.52, p = 0.002) at age 35 than those in low teacher-directed and child-initiated classrooms. Participants experiencing low teacher-directed and high child-initiated instruction had increased odds of having a livable wage (OR = 2.01, p = 0.002) and decreased odds of felony arrest (OR = 0.46; p < 0.001), jail or incarceration (OR = 0.53; p = 0.023), and conviction (OR = 0.57, p = 0.01) at age 35. Findings were consistent across many model specifications and adjustments for potential attrition bias. Child-initiated instruction in preschool is a robust predictor of adulthood well-being. Early education prevention efforts to establish a blend of child-initiated and teacher-directed teaching philosophies affords the opportunity for long-term impacts on economic and criminal outcomes in adulthood.
| S-EPMC8326420 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This paper examines demographic differences in flourishing, defined as "complete well-being" and consisting of six domains: emotional health, physical health, purpose, character strengths, social connectedness, and financial security. Results are based on a random, cross-sectional sample of 2363 survey respondents drawn from employees of a large, national, self-insured employer based in the United States. We found that well-being across domains tends to increase with age, although there are some variations. Results are similar across most domains for men and women, although women score higher on character strengths, while men had higher scores on financial security. Racial and ethnic differences were striking. Black employees score higher than the reference group (White employees) on the emotional, purpose, and character strengths domains, but considerably lower on financial security. Hispanics also score lower on financial security (though not as low as Blacks), but higher than Whites on purpose, character strengths, and social connectedness. Asians reported higher well-being than Whites across all domains except purpose.
| S-EPMC9446856 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Abstract Single item measures of Subjective well-being (SWB) are often superior to more objective clinical assessment for predicting an individuals’ morbidity and mortality, suggesting that SWB is a powerful predictor of future health. Little is known about the genetic architecture underlying this link between SWB and healthy aging. Recently, genetic polymorphisms underlying SWB were identified (rs3756290, rs2075677, and rs4958581) using genome-wide data of more than 298,000 individuals. Based on these findings we derived polygenic risk-scores to predict age-related health problems as measured by self-rated health (SRH) and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). CIRS scores, SRH as well as genetic information were available in 8,000 individuals from the IGEMS consortium. The observed CIRS and SRH scores were regressed on the polygenic risk-score to assess the degree to which variability in CIRS and SRH could be explained by variability in genes underlying SWB. Findings and implications of these analyses will be discussed.
| S-EPMC6185070 | biostudies-literature