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Prospective predictors of successful aging in community-residing and institutionalized Canadian elderly

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Abstract

This study examined the unique and combined contribution of existential variables (purpose in life, religiousness, and death acceptance) and traditional resource measures (social resources, intellectual competence, and cognitive competence) as prospective predictors of successful aging in community-residing and institutionalized older adults. Using multiple hierarchical regression, the results showed that baseline successful aging, social resources, purpose in life, and low religiousness predicted successful aging in community-residing elderly 14 months later; baseline successful aging, social resources, purpose in life, and being of male gender predicted successful aging in institutionalized elderly. Intellectual and cognitive competence and death acceptance failed to account for significant variance in successful aging, although the latter approached significance in the community-residing older adults. In both samples, the existential variable of purpose in life accounted for unique variance in successful aging over and above that accounted for by demographic, baseline successful aging, and traditional predictors. The important role of existential constructs in promoting successful aging in community-residing and institutionalized elderly is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Trent University, K9J 7B8, Peterborough, ON, Canada

    Gary T. Reker Ph.D.

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  1. Gary T. Reker Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Gary T. Reker Ph.D..

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Gary T. Reker is a full professor in the Department of Psychology of Trent University. His research interests have focused on the aging process, particularly in the role of personal optimism and personal meaning in wellness promotion.

This work was supported by a Population Aging Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The work was begun by Paul T.P. Wong and Gary T. Reker and continued by Gary T. Reker under grants from the Trent University Research Fund.

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Reker, G.T. Prospective predictors of successful aging in community-residing and institutionalized Canadian elderly. Ageing Int. 27, 42–64 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-001-1015-4

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