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The impact of resilience on healthy aging with multiple sclerosis

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of older persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) reporting high and low levels of resilience. We also examined the influence of resilience on three key elements of healthy aging: level of disability, participation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

Data were extracted from the Canadian Survey of Health, Lifestyle and Aging with MS (n = 743). Lifestyle, psychological health, and quality of life variables were compared between people with high and low resilience scores controlling for confounding variables. We used hierarchical regression to determine the unique contribution of resilience and related variables to healthy aging.

Results

Roughly, 1 in 5 respondents reported high resilience (18.8%), while 1 in 3 reported low resilience (33.9%). The group having higher resilience scores lived with less disability (~ 10%) and fatigue, reported greater participation, exercised more, consumed a healthier diet and lived with greater social support and financial security, compared to the lower scoring group. Resilience added only 1–2% of predictive value explaining disability, participation and HRQoL when confounding variables were accounted for. Years since diagnosis, type of MS, depression, fatigue and resilience significantly predicted healthy aging.

Conclusion

Resilience contributed minimally (but significantly) to healthy aging. Older participants scoring higher on resilience reported healthier lifestyle behaviors (more exercise, better diet) and social/financial support compared to lower scoring respondents. Our findings suggest that self-management programs for older persons with MS should focus on three key factors to foster healthy aging: depression, fatigue and resilience.

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Acknowledgements

For the original survey, Dr. Ploughman was supported by a Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Institute of Aging) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Her research was supported by the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research, Health Care Foundation, and Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada. The other authors have no disclosures or conflicts of interest to report.

*Health, Lifestyle and Aging with MS Canadian Consortium: John D. Fisk PhD, Nancy Mayo PhD, A. Dessa Sadovnick PhD, Serge Beaulieu BSc, Paul O’Connor, MD, FRCPC, Sarah A. Morrow, MD, FRCPC, Katherine B. Knox MD, FRCPC, Luanne M. Metz MD, FRCPC, Penelope Smyth MD, FRCPC, Ruth Ann Marrie, MD, PhD, Mark Stefanelli MD FRCPC, Marshall Godwin, MD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada

    M. Ploughman, M. B. Downer, R. W. Pretty, E. M. Wallack, S. Amirkhanian & M. C. Kirkland

  2. The Recovery and Performance Laboratory, Room 400, L.A. Miller Centre, 100 Forest Rd., St. John’s, NL, A1A 1E5, Canada

    M. Ploughman

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  1. M. Ploughman
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  2. M. B. Downer
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Consortia

The Health, Lifestyle and Aging with MS Canadian Consortium

  • John D. Fisk
  • , Nancy Mayo
  • , A. Dessa Sadovnick
  • , Serge Beaulieu
  • , Paul O’Connor
  • , Sarah A. Morrow
  • , Katherine B. Knox
  • , Luanne M. Metz
  • , Penelope Smyth
  • , Ruth Ann Marrie
  • , Mark Stefanelli
  •  & Marshall Godwin

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Ploughman.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by 11 health research ethics boards in eight Canadian provinces according to ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. All persons who received the survey consented to their participation in this study. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada HREB#10.06. Capital Health Research Ethics Board, Halifax, NS, Canada REB#CDHA-RS/2011-281. McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada #RVH-R4.17. Western University, London, ON, Canada HSREB#18020E. St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada REB#11-086. University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Campus Research Ethics Boards, Winnipeg, MB, Canada H2011:097 (HREB#HS12953). University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada BEH#11-40. University of Calgary and Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board, Calgary, AB, Canada #ID:E-24695. University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada HREB#Pro00032097. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada BREB#H11-00769.

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The members of the The Health, Lifestyle and Aging with MS Canadian Consortium study group are listed in the Acknowledgements.

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Ploughman, M., Downer, M.B., Pretty, R.W. et al. The impact of resilience on healthy aging with multiple sclerosis. Qual Life Res 29, 2769–2779 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-020-02521-6

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