This study does not prove that a positive attitude about aging made a difference. Of course, many factors affect whether or to what extent a person recovers from disability. Older people with positive age stereotypes also had a slower rate of decline in their ability to perform daily activities as they got older. They were 44% more likely to fully recover from severe disability than those with negative age stereotypes.Īlso, older people with positive views on aging were more likely to progress from severe disability to mild disability or mild disability to no disability. The findings were strongest for older people with the most severe types of disability. The results appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers rated their responses on a five-point scale as most positive, like “spry,” or most negative, like “decrepit.” They were asked for the first five words or phrases that come to mind when they think of old people. In some cases, their disability was severe other cases were mild. None were disabled when the study started, but later on, all of them had at least one month when they needed help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, or walking. In the study, researchers periodically surveyed 598 people aged 70 or older about their views on aging over a period of about 11 years. “These people with positive stereotypes about aging experienced health gains and better recovery, not just a reduction of health losses,” Stewart says. Stewart, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Idaho State University. “It’s not just about reducing the losses associated with aging, but also about making gains in one’s health or disability status and regaining what might have been lost,” says Tara L. Until now, experts say, most of the research on attitudes about aging and health has looked at the health risks and losses linked to a negative outlook.īut this study suggests there may be tangible health benefits to having a more positive view about aging. “It may be something worth considering that might help people’s recovery," says researcher Becca Levy, PhD, associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health. People with positive attitudes about aging also had a slower decline in their ability to do daily tasks such as dressing and bathing. Researchers found older people with positive views on aging were 44% more likely to recover fully after severe disability than those with negative views on aging. 20, 2012 - The old saying “You’re only as old as you feel" has new life, backed up by a new study.
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