A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Subjective Age and the Association With Cognition, Subjective Well-Being, and Depression

Identifying the key predictors of positive self-perceptions of aging using machine learning

This study aimed to identify key predictors of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) among older adults by examining a comprehensive set of potential predictors across physical, psychological, social, and demographic domains. Data from over 4000 American adults (mean age ≈ 70) from the Health and Retirement Study were used. A machine learning approach using Random Forest regression was employed to assess the relative importance of 49 potential predictors of SPA. The results revealed that health status, age, and psychological resources emerged as the strongest predictors of SPA. The psychological resources included the positive triad of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism, as well as sense of mastery. Emotional tendencies and experiences, financial satisfaction, personality traits, and social factors had substantially lower predictive power. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors that predict SPA and their relative importance, offering insights for both theory and practice. The results highlight the potential for designing targeted, evidence-based interventions that enhance psychological resources, address health and functional well-being, provide tailored support across the lifespan, and incorporate lifestyle changes to foster positive aging perceptions.

Short-term resting-state electroencephalography fast activity is associated with cognitive decline in older adults: A population-based cross-sectional pilot study

Electroencephalography (EEG) slowing may help detect and prognosticate mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Whether slowed EEG activity is helpful for non-invasive MCI detection in a health checkup remains uncertain. This cross-sectional secondary study assessed the hypothesis that frontal EEG slowing in short-term resting-state is associated with MCI-suspicious participants over 65 in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project 2022. Participants who underwent the MCI screen test were matched by propensity score to minimize confounding (age and educational history) between the non-cognitive impairment (NCI, n = 14) and suspected-MCI (sMCI, n = 14) groups. The matched sMCI group had increased EEG β power, decreased δ power, θ/β power ratio (TBR), and frontal α asymmetry. No significant differences were found in imaginary coherence and debiased weighted phase lag index (dwPLI) between the groups. Spearman's correlation showed a negative correlation between the MCI screen performance and β power and positive correlations between the performance and δ power, TBR, or α-γ dwPLI. Contrary to the hypothesis and previous findings, these results suggest that fast frontal EEG activity is negatively associated with cognitive performance in older adults. EEG measurements in health checkups may be useful for screening cognitive impairments that are less likely due to neurodegeneration.

Daily Stressor Appraisals and Subjective Age Predict Daily Affective Ratings

OBJECTIVES

Stressor appraisals are a transaction between the environment and the individual, such that individuals may appraise a situation as stressful when the problem is greater than the resources available to address it. Stressors appraised as threatening to the way one feels about themselves, their plans for the future, or their own physical health and safety are known to increase negative affect. Appraisal theory frames our predictions regarding the importance of daily contexts and aging processes to understand how stressor appraisals and feelings of aging may be associated with daily affective ratings. We investigated the potential interaction of daily stressors appraisals and daily subjective age on daily negative affect.

METHODS

101 younger adults (aged 18-36, M = 19.4, SD = 2.05) and 73 older adults (aged 60-90, M = 65.2, SD = 4.66) participated in an online 8-day daily diary study.

RESULTS

Our results indicated a significant 2-way interaction between daily stressor appraisals and daily subjective age on daily negative affect, such that on days when participants reported low stress appraisals and younger subjective ages, participants also reported lower negative affect.

DISCUSSION

The dynamic nature of stressor appraisals, in light of daily aging experiences and daily affective ratings, suggests potential benefits and boundaries associated with subjective aging experiences.

There Are Multiple Clocks That Time Us: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Among 14 Alternative Indicators of Age and Aging

Aging is a complex process influenced by mechanisms operating at numerous levels of functioning. Multiple biomarkers of age have been identified, yet we know little about how the different alternative age indicators are intertwined. In the Berlin Aging Study II (nmin = 328; nmax = 1 517, women = 51%; 14.27 years of education), we examined how levels and 7-year changes in indicators derived from blood assays, magnetic resonance imaging brain scans, other-ratings, and self-reports converge among older adults. We included 8 epigenetic biomarkers (incl. 5 epigenetic "clocks"), a BioAge composite from clinical laboratory parameters, brain age, skin age, subjective age, subjective life expectancy, and subjective health horizon. We found moderate associations within aging domains, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally over 7 years. However, associations across different domains were infrequent and modest. Notably, participants with older BioAge had correspondingly older epigenetic ages. Our results suggest that different aging clocks are only loosely interconnected and that more specific measures are needed to differentiate healthy from unhealthy aging.

Associations of subjective age trajectories with loneliness and stress across adulthood

Subjective age, that is the age a person feels like in relation to their chronological age, is indicative of a variety of biological, psychological, and social aging processes. Despite its importance, studies that investigate multi-variate, dynamic, longitudinal relations of subjective age with its potential determinants and potential mechanisms of these relations have so far rarely been employed. In the current study, we focus on loneliness as a potential subjective age determinant. As loneliness affects a variety of psychosocial and health outcomes across life and is stereotypically perceived as a feature of old age, we investigate whether loneliness is related with levels and changes in subjective age. We furthermore test whether this association is mediated via self-reported stress. N =  5,594 participants aged 18 - 93 years (Mage =  50.41, SD =  15.99) who participated in a longitudinal survey comprising up to three measurement occasions over a time span of 2.5 years reported their loneliness, subjective age, and stress as well as sociodemographic and health-related covariates. We employed latent growth modeling and found that, when controlling for sociodemographic and health-related covariates, higher loneliness was related to an older subjective age cross-sectionally and to a steeper increase in subjective age over time. These relations were mediated via stress; however, the relation between stress and subjective age was no longer statistically significant when including the covariates. All associations were qualified by significant interactions with chronological age, albeit in different directions. Our findings attest to associations between loneliness, stress and subjective aging experiences and highlight the need for an age-informed approach when planning further studies and interventions.

Effects of Persistent Depression on Recall Memory are Moderated by Subjective Age Levels: Evidence From Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Results concerning memory performance in older adults with persistent-depression versus other depressive states (i.e., no-depression, past-depression and current-depression) are disparate. This study examined if persistent-depression is linked with impaired memory (measured by recall), and whether this link is moderated by one's feeling older or younger (subjective age). The study used data from waves 5 and 6 of SHARE-Israel (Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe), collected in 2013 and 2015. This representative sample focuses on adults aged 50 and above (N = 1254, mean age = 68.4 ± 9.02). Each wave assessed depression, immediate and delayed recall, fluency and numeracy; subjective age was assessed only at 2015. The main moderation effect was analysed with a hierarchical regression analysis. Memory impairments in the persistent-depression group were evident only for those feeling older. There were no effects of subjective age on fluency and numeracy tasks. Limitations include usage of self-report measures to assess depression, as well as applying a minimal inter-wave duration (2 years) to assess persistent depression. Results are aligned with a resource-stress account of subjective which claims that one's subjective age refelcts a ratio of resoucres-to-stress. Implications suggest that challenges of ageing in the shadow of depression can be compounded by feeling older, that memory (vs. other cognitive tasks) may be uniquely linked with subjective age, and that feeling older is a potential risk factor for impaired memory in persistent-depression. The importance of possible interventions aimed at lowering subjective age are mentioned.

Effects of Self-Perception of Aging Interventions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Self-perception of aging (SPA) is associated with various health outcomes in the aging process. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of existing interventions targeting SPA among older adults, and to synthesize their effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP, and WanFang databases for randomized controlled trials that reported intervention effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health in older adults. Two researchers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment.

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies were included for qualitative analysis, and 12 studies of them were included for meta-analysis. The results showed a significant impact of interventions on SPA, with an effect size of -0.56 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.06 to -0.07, p = .03). And the results also supported a significant improvement in physical performance and mental health among older adults.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Self-perception of aging interventions present a promising approach to enhance positive aging perception for older adults, with potential benefits extending to physical performance and mental health. However, larger-scale and more robust trials are still required to validate these findings and obtain more accurate conclusions.

The Bidirectional Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Depression: A Cross-Sectional and Cross-Lagged Network Analysis

Purpose

Network modeling has been suggested as an effective approach to uncover intricate relationships among emotional states and their underlying symptoms. This study aimed to explore the dynamic interactions between subjective well-being (SWB) and depressive symptoms over time, using cross-sectional and cross-lagged network analysis.

Methods

Data were drawn from three waves (2016, 2018, and 2020) of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), including 13,409 participants aged 16 and above. SWB was measured through indicators like life satisfaction and future confidence, while depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D8 scale. Symptom-level interactions were analyzed via cross-sectional network analysis at each wave, and cross-lagged panel network analysis was employed to examine the temporal dynamics and bidirectional relationships between SWB and depressive symptoms.

Results

The cross-sectional symptom network analysis showed that the number of non-zero edges at T1, T2, and T3 were 50, 44, and 49, respectively, with network densities of 0.90, 0.80, and 0.89. The core symptom "feeling sad" (D7) consistently had a significantly higher strength than other symptoms. The negative correlation between "life satisfaction" (Z2) and depressive symptoms was particularly evident at T3. The cross-lagged symptom network analysis revealed the key roles of "feeling lonely" (D5) and "feeling sad" (D7), as well as "feeling unhappy" (D4) and "not enjoying life" (D6) across different time periods, which may form a negative feedback loop. "Life satisfaction" (Z2) and "confidence in the future" (Z3) exhibited significant protective effects, forming a positive feedback loop that suppresses negative emotions through mutual reinforcement. Stability analysis showed that the network structure was stable, with a centrality stability coefficient of 0.75.

Conclusion

The study reveals a dynamic, bidirectional relationship between SWB and depressive symptoms. These results offer valuable insights for targeted interventions and public health initiatives aimed at improving mental well-being.

Daily relationship satisfaction and markers of health: Findings from a smartphone-based assessment

Relationship satisfaction is associated consistently with better physical and mental health. Less is known about these associations in daily life, particularly the association between relationship satisfaction and cognitive health. This study examined the daily, within-person association between relationship satisfaction and subjective health markers, including cognitive health. Participants from the United States (N = 303; Mage = 51.71, SD = 7.32) in the Couples Healthy Aging Project (CHAP) completed assessments of relationship satisfaction and health markers every night for eight days. Multilevel modeling was performed by accounting for personal (sex, age, race, education), relational (relationship duration), and contextual (day in the study, weekend day) factors. Within-person, on days when participants were more satisfied with their relationship, they felt healthier, younger, more satisfied with their life, and more purposeful. They also reported a sharper mind, better memory, and clearer thinking; relationship satisfaction was unrelated to whether participants were bothered and disrupted by forgetting. Results indicated that a satisfying romantic relationship is closely associated with better physical, psychological, and cognitive health markers in daily life.

Validation of the death reflection scale among older people

Background

Human beings possess the capacity to cognize their own mortality, which compels them to process death awareness. The present study seeks to validate the Death Reflection Scale (DRS) among older individuals, which measures growth-oriented cognitions and prosocial behavior following confrontation with death awareness.

Materials and methods

DRS was validated using a cross-sectional online survey of older adults (50+). To assess configural, metric, and scalar measurement equivalence across age groups of older adults, a multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in conjunction with dynamic fit index cutoffs. Construct validity was evaluated using Pearson's correlation and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The data were obtained from an online survey. The survey was conducted in May 2023 and people aged 50 and over were recruited from an online panel using quota sampling (by age, gender and federal state). A total of 1,806 individuals completed the survey.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the originally proposed 5-factor (CFI 0.949, SRMR 0.058, RMSEA 0.070) and bi-factor model (CFI 0.956, SRMR 0.067, RMSEA 0.067) with a general factor and five subscales. In light of several considerations, it is recommended that the DRS should be considered as a five-factor model, as originally proposed. Alpha ranges from 0.807 to 0.875 and Omega from 0.811 to 0.875, indicating good reliability. Partial scalar invariance was obtained, therefore mean comparisons can be made between groups of older people. Testing the construct validity showed only a partial confirmation. The exploratory analysis of the DRS with the Big Five personality traits revealed a correlation structure that can be plausibly explained by considering the facets of personality traits.

Conclusion

The value of the DRS lies in its perspective that death awareness should not only be viewed as a threat, but rather as a potential for a positive and growth-oriented perspective on death awareness and has been validated for older adults. The present study demonstrated that mean comparisons could be conducted between groups of older adults. Tests of construct validity yielded inconclusive results, indicating the necessity for further analysis.

Associations between Attitudes to Aging with concurrent and twelve-year change in cognitive functioning in very old individuals

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the cross-sectional associations between participants' scores on five cognitive domains and global cognition and their scores on a multidimensional measure of self-perceptions of aging. This study also investigated whether 12-year change in the same cognitive domains and global cognition was associated with self-perceptions of aging.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional and longitudinal secondary analyses of a cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were 103 individuals (mean age at 12-year follow-up = 87.43 years; SD = 3.60; 60.2 % women) enrolled in the Sydney Memory and Aging Study (MAS) with 12-years of follow-up data.

MEASUREMENTS

Cognitive domains assessed over 7 waves were attention processing speed, language, executive function, visuospatial abilities, and memory. Self-perceptions of aging were assessed only at wave 7 using the three subscales of the Laidlaw' Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire: psychological growth, psychosocial loss, and (positive) physical change.

RESULTS

After having adjusted for age, sex, marital status, occupation when working, depressive symptoms, and numbers of physical health conditions and for multiple comparisons there were no significant cross-sectional associations between cognitive abilities and global cognition and the subscales of the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire. After having adjusted for baseline cognition, age, sex, marital status, occupation when working, depressive symptoms, and numbers of physical health conditions there were no significant longitudinal associations between change in cognitive abilities and in general cognition and the subscales of the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS

Cross-sectional and change scores on cognitive tasks and global cognition do not have an effect on Attitudes to Aging after having controlled for depressive symptoms.

Self-Perceptions of Aging and Loneliness Interact when Predicting Cognition in Older Adults

There is growing interest in the link between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and cognition in older adults. This study evaluates the relationship between SPA dimensions and objective cognition and its interaction with loneliness. A sample of 184 community-dwelling Spanish older adults aged 65 and above was recruited. The short form of the Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ-S) was used along with a neuropsychological battery and sociodemographic and health measures. The findings reveal links between negative consequences and processing speed; chronic time and inhibition; cyclical time and selective and alternating attention; and emotional representations and inhibition, selective attention, and working memory. SPA dimensions were found to moderate the relationship of loneliness on processing speed and selective attention. This study offers evidence of the differential link between SPA dimensions and cognition as well as their interaction with loneliness, which is valuable for designing intervention programs that promote cognitive health and active aging.

The role of gender in the association between sensory impairments and well-being, depression symptoms, and relationship satisfaction among older adults

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the impact of sensory impairments on well-being, depression symptoms, and relationship satisfaction among older adults, and to examine whether these associations vary by gender.

METHOD

The study analyzed a sample of 640 Danish individuals aged 60 and older. Multilevel modeling was conducted using PROC MIXED in SAS to assess the impact of sensory impairments on well-being, depression symptoms, and relationship satisfaction. A two-step approach was employed to evaluate the main effects and interaction terms of sensory impairments and gender, controlling for covariates such as age, education, and relationship length.

RESULTS

Both vision and hearing impairments were significantly associated with lower well-being and higher depression symptoms in men and women. However, a gender difference was observed for the association between vision impairment and relationship satisfaction: greater vision impairment was associated with lower relationship satisfaction among men but not among women.

CONCLUSION

The findings add nuance to the understanding of how sensory impairments may affect older men and women, highlighting both gender similarities and differences. The study also discusses possible interpretations of the findings, suggesting that social and cultural factors may influence how sensory impairments affect mental and relational health outcomes differently for men and women.

Momentary physical activity, subjective age, and the moderating role of pain

Subjective age, that is felt age compared to chronological age, is an important predictor of health and well-being in later life. It can fluctuate from day to day and from one moment to another. Previous cross-sectional and macro-longitudinal studies have shown that feeling younger is related to physical fitness and exercise. Yet, there is limited knowledge on the effects of physical activity on subjective age in daily life and moderators of this association. We thus aim to investigate the association of momentary physical activity with momentary subjective age, expecting that more activity is related to feeling younger. We further expect that concurrent pain experience attenuates this relationship. N = 54 participants aged 50-62 years (Mage = 56.1 years, 75% female) wore chest-sensors measuring their physical activity (step count, movement acceleration) for one week and reported on their subjective age five times per day. Multilevel regression analyses revealed between and within-person variation in momentary subjective age (ICC = 0.74), pain (ICC = 0.63) and physical activity (ICC Moac30 = 0.078, steps30 = 0.053). Pain emerged as a consistent predictor of momentary subjective age (b = 4.64, p = 0.000), whereas results were mixed for the physical activity measures. No significant moderating effect of pain was observed on the relationship between physical activity and subjective age. Our study shows the importance of pain experiences for momentary subjective age, whereas the role of momentary physical activity needs further exploration.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, Sleep and Mental Wellbeing in Family Caregivers of Adults With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

BACKGROUND

Canadian 24-h movement guidelines recommend that adults achieve 150 min per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 7-9 h of sleep per night and spend no more than 8-h per day sedentary to optimise health and wellbeing.

METHOD

Using a cross-sectional survey of 131 family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we aimed to (a) determine whether adherence to these guidelines predicts mental wellbeing in family caregivers and (b) explore the relationship between movement behaviours of family caregivers and their loved ones.

RESULTS

While MVPA was found to weakly predict wellbeing, sleep and sedentary behaviour did not. The movement behaviours of the family caregivers were not closely related to that of their loved ones.

CONCLUSIONS

Fostering physical activity is important to promote the wellbeing of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as their family caregivers. Opportunities to be active together may be even more beneficial.

Association of stressful life events with subjective age and the mediating role of depression: A cross-sectional study of older adults in China

OBJECTIVE

While previous studies have examined the relationship between stressful life events (SLEs) and subjective age (SA), the results were inconclusive and the mechanisms linking the association were unclear. This study investigated whether the experience of SLEs was associated with an older SA and the potential mediating role of depression linking this association in a cross-sectional study of older adults in China.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), comprising 7643 participants aged 60 and older. The association between SLEs and SA was examined using multivariate linear regression, and the mediation effect of depression was evaluated.

RESULTS

Experiencing SLEs over the past year was associated with a 0.018 increase in proportional felt age (95 % CI: 0.012, 0.024) and a 0.011 increase in proportional look age (95 % CI: 0.005, 0.016), respectively. Depression appeared to be a significant mediator, accounting for 22.2 % and 27.3 % of the association of SLEs with proportional felt age and proportional look age, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Findings revealed that having SLEs was associated with an older SA, partially through the pathway of depression. More attention and appropriate intervention should be given to the older adults incurring SLEs to prevent the adverse effect of older SA.

Successful Aging and Subjective Aging: Toward a Framework to Research a Neglected Connection

Research related to subjective aging, which describes how individuals perceive, interpret, and evaluate their own aging, has substantially grown in the past 2 decades. Evidence from longitudinal studies shows that subjective aging predicts health, quality of life, and functioning in later life. However, the existing literature on successful aging has mostly neglected the role of subjective aging. This paper proposes an extended framework of successful aging linking subjective aging conceptually and empirically to Rowe and Kahn's ((1997). Successful aging. Gerontologist, 37(4), 433-440) 3 original key criteria of successful aging (i.e., avoiding disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life). A particular focus is placed on subjective aging as an antecedent of successful aging. A review of the empirical subjective aging literature shows that subjective aging concepts consistently predict all 3 of Rowe and Kahn's criteria of successful aging. Mechanisms underlying these relations are discussed at 3 levels, namely psychological, behavioral, and physiological pathways. The proposed addition also takes into consideration the interconnections between subjective aging and successful aging throughout the life span and across historical time. Finally, we discuss the importance of facilitating successful aging through systematic interventions that support more positive views of aging at the individual and societal levels.

Mental health profiles of depressive symptoms and personal well-being among active-duty military families

Although some research has examined the mental health of individual family members in military families, additional research is needed that considers mental health among multiple members of the family system simultaneously and that characterizes subsets of families with distinct patterns. Mental health patterns of depressive symptoms and well-being in and among families were identified using latent profile analysis with a community sample of 236 military families with a service member (SM) parent, civilian partner, and adolescent. Drawing from the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response model, we examined several military-related family demands (e.g., relocations, deployments) and capabilities (e.g., family cohesion, social support outside the family) as correlates of the family profiles. Three profiles emerged: thriving families (62.3% of the sample where all three family members reported relatively low depressive symptoms and high personal well-being), families with a relatively distressed SM (24.2%), and families with a relatively distressed adolescent (13.5%). Overall, there were no differences between the groups of families regarding military-related demands, yet there were differences between the groups regarding their capabilities, namely family cohesion and social support. In general, families in the thriving profile tended to have higher family cohesion and social support as reported by multiple family members compared to the other two profiles. Findings can inform the development of family needs assessments and tailored interventions (and intervention points) based on family profiles and current capabilities.

Views of Aging and Subjective Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Views of aging have been linked with many important outcomes in older adults. Subjective cognition, or one's perception of their cognitive functioning, may be a valuable indicator of cognitive changes as individuals age, but is known to be impacted by a variety of factors. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on relationships between views of aging and subjective cognition, including whether and how these relationships may differ based on age.

METHODS

Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, we conducted a comprehensive literature search in four databases: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Critical appraisal utilized the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists. Twenty sources (including 21 studies) met inclusion and exclusion criteria, from which data were systematically extracted and results narratively synthesized.

RESULTS

Seventeen out of the 21 identified studies (81%) found a relationship between more positive views of aging and better subjective cognition; however, some studies reported mixed results based on the domain of aging views. Domains that were consistently associated with subjective cognition were subjective age, attitudes toward one's own aging, aging well, and essentialist beliefs about aging. Only three studies reported age group differences or changes in associations over time, precluding conclusions about differences across middle- and older ages.

CONCLUSION

Most studies supported associations between views of aging and subjective cognition. More longitudinal as well as qualitative research is needed to advance understanding of factors that influence these relationships.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Physical Capability, Social Support, Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, and Life Satisfaction in Older Adults

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Physical capability, social support, loneliness, depression, and anxiety predict life satisfaction in older adults. Currently, no systematic review and meta-analysis have been conducted to investigate the strength of these associations globally. Therefore, this study quantified the strength of these associations.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. We included observational studies assessing the association between physical capability, social support, loneliness, depression, and anxiety with life satisfaction in adults aged 65+.

RESULTS

In total, 10,552 articles were identified, of which 78 studies in 164,478 participants were included in the systematic review and 57 were included in the meta-analysis. Greater life satisfaction was significantly associated with greater physical capabilities (odds ratio [OR] = 2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01-3.45; p < .001, k = 35, n = 33,732), higher social support (OR = 3.27; 95% CI: 2.59-4.13, k = 20 studies, n = 13,228), reduced loneliness (OR = 3.30; 95% CI: 2.53-4.30, k = 11, n = 33,638), depression (OR = 4.76; 95% CI: 3.10-7.32, k = 24, n = 64,097), and anxiety (OR = 5.10; 95% CI: 2.21-11.78, k = 5, n = 43,368). The strength of associations did not vary between Western and Eastern countries, year of publication, or quality. Gender was a moderator: Loneliness was more strongly associated with life satisfaction in females. Age was also a moderator; the association between social support and life satisfaction weakened with increasing age.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Improving the physical capabilities of older individuals, fostering social support, and alleviating feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety may help build life satisfaction in older individuals, which policy-makers and healthcare professionals should prioritize when implementing strategies.

Personal views of aging in midlife and older age: the role of personality

Introduction

Personal views of aging (VoA) reflect individuals' perceptions, attitudes, and expectations regarding their aging selves. The present cross-sectional study was aimed at examining whether personality traits, as defined by the Big Five model, are associated with different VoA concepts related to both subjective age and awareness of age-related gains and losses in midlife and older age.

Materials and methods

A sample of 224 participants aged 46-85 years reported their felt age and completed the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) questionnaire, assessing perceptions of age-related gains (AARC-Gains) and losses (AARC-Losses) in various functioning domains, as well as the short version of the Big Five Inventory.

Results

Linear regression models showed that Openness contributed to explain youthful subjective age. Extraversion explained higher AARC-Gains scores, whereas Emotional Stability, along with younger chronological age and perceiving better self-rated health, contributed to explaining lower AARC-Losses scores.

Discussion

These findings confirm the relationship between personality traits and personal VoA. They further suggest that such an association varies depending on the VoA measure considered. They underscore the importance of considering personality among those individual characteristics capable of shaping personal VoA, with implications for the development of tailored interventions and the understanding of the underlying mechanisms linking personal VoA to health and longevity outcomes in midlife and older age.

'Does it matter how old I feel?' The role of subjective age in a psychosocial intervention for improving depressive symptomatology among older adults in Brazil (PROACTIVE)

OBJECTIVES

Depression is a prevalent mental health condition that also often affects older adults. The PROACTIVE psychosocial intervention was developed to reduce depressive symptomatology among older adults within primary care settings in Brazil. An important psychological marker that affects individuals' aging experience relates to how old people feel. Known as subjective age, this marker has been shown to be a risk factor for experiencing greater depressive symptoms if individuals report feeling older than their (chronological) age. In this study, we perform secondary analyses of the PROACTIVE cluster-randomized controlled trial to examine the role of subjective age.

METHOD

The sample included 715 Brazilian older adults (74% female, Mage 68.6, SD = 6.9, age range: 60-94 years) randomized to intervention (n = 360, 74% female, Mage 68.4, SD = 6.6, age range: 60-89 years) or control (n = 355, 74% female, Mage 68.9, SD = 7.2, age range: 60-94 years) arms. Here our primary outcome was depressive symptoms at the 8-month follow-up assessed with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) as a continuous variable. Our previous analyses demonstrated improved recovery from depression at follow-up in the intervention compared with the control arm.

RESULTS

Relevant main effects and interactions in regression models for PHQ-9 presented here found that those reporting older subjective age had worse depressive symptoms at follow-up but that they benefitted more from the intervention when initial levels of depression were high. For participants who reported younger subjective ages the intervention showed positive effects that were independent of initial levels of depression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings emphasize the importance of investigating possible underlying mechanisms that can help clarify the impact of mental health interventions.

Utilizing regression model to characterize the impact of urban green space features on the subjective well-being of older adults

Based on the background of rapid global ageing, research exploring urban green spaces and the subjective well-being of urban residents has become one of the key research interests. However, the evidence for assessing the real benefits of urban green spaces on the subjective well-being of older adults by comprehensively examining the features of urban green spaces is limited. We surveyed older urban green space users (n = 536) aged 60 years and older in Nanjing, China, and evaluated the impacts of spatial, green, and grey features of urban green spaces on older people's overall satisfaction with urban green spaces and subjective well-being. The results of the multiple linear regression model showed a strong association between the three types of urban green space features, overall satisfaction with urban green space, and subjective well-being of older adults. The study results indicated that the grey feature of urban green spaces emerged as the most influential factor (p = 0.004) among the three features of urban green spaces in relation to their effect on the subjective well-being of older adults. This implies that it is essential to focus on the importance of grey s of urban green spaces in the planning and design of urban green spaces for older adults' use of different urban green spaces and their sense of well-being. These results contribute to the development of healthy ageing policies and age-friendly urban green space management strategies in rapid ageing countries around the world.

Felt Age and Its Psychological Correlates in Dementia Spousal Caregiving Dyads: Findings From the IDEAL Programme

OBJECTIVES

Evidence suggests spouses influence each other's subjective views on aging. Aligned with the Theory of Dyadic Illness Management, we investigated for the first time similarities in felt age (how old people feel relative to their chronological age) between people with dementia and their spousal caregivers, and how each partner's felt age was related to psychological correlates in the other partner.

METHODS

We used baseline (2014-2016) data from 1,001 people with dementia and their spousal caregivers who participated in the British Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life study. We ran linear regressions to analyze the extent to which the felt age of people with dementia and their caregivers were similar, and whether relationship quality was associated with the similarity. We utilized actor-partner interdependence models to analyze whether the felt age of people with dementia and their caregivers were associated with each other's well-being, satisfaction with life, and self-efficacy.

RESULTS

The felt age of people with dementia was associated with the felt age of their caregivers (β = 0.10; p = .001). Caregivers and people with dementia reported a more similar felt age when caregivers rated the caregiving relationship more positively (β = 0.07; p = .04). Caregivers' felt age was associated with well-being (β = 0.07; p = .02) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06; p = .04), but not with self-efficacy, in people with dementia.

DISCUSSION

Felt age in caregivers and people with dementia may be interwoven, and important psychological variables in people with dementia are related to caregivers' felt age. Findings offer empirical evidence on dementia caregiving dynamics and how family relationships are related to views on aging.

Lactococcus strains with psychobiotic properties improve cognitive and mood alterations in aged mice

Aging often accompanies cognitive and mood disturbances. Emerging evidence indicates that specific probiotics mitigate cognitive and mood dysfunctions. Strains within Lactococcus, a subgroup of probiotics, including Lactococcus lactis and Lactococcus cremoris are shown beneficial effects on brain functions via the gut microbiota-brain axis (GBA). Our previous study identified two Lactococcus strains (L. lactis WHH2078 and L. cremoris WHH2080) with the ability to promote the secretion of gut 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the precursor of the GBA mediator 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). In this study, the modulatory effects of WHH2078 and WHH2080 on cognitive and mood alternations were investigated in aged mice. Oral administration of WHH2078 and WHH2080 (1 × 109 CFU/mL/day) in aged mice (12-month-old) for 12 weeks significantly improved cognitive and depressive-and anxiety-like behaviors. The neuronal loss, the 5-HT metabolism dysfunction, and the neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of aged mice were restored by WHH2078 and WHH2080. the disturbances in the serum tryptophan metabolism in aged mice were unveiled by metabolomics, notably with decreased levels of 5-HT and 5-HTP, and increased levels of kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and indolelactic acid, which were reversed by WHH2078 and WHH2080. Regarding the gut microbial community, WHH2078 and WHH2080 restored the increased abundance of Firmicutes, Desulfobacterota, and Deferribacterota and the decreased abundance of Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota in aged mice. The beneficial effects of the two strains were linked to the modulation of 5-HT metabolism and gut microbiota. Our findings point to the potential role of Lactococcus strains with 5-HTP-promoting abilities as therapeutic approaches for age-related cognitive and mood disorders.

Subjective Age and Loneliness in Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Attachment Patterns

Loneliness in older adults has been associated with a myriad of undesirable physical and psychological consequences, as well as with negative age and aging perceptions. However, little is known regarding the effect of individual differences in the ability to seek, maintain, and benefit from close relationships in this context. Accordingly, we examined the associations between subjective age (i.e., how old/young one feels vis-à-vis his/her chronological age; SA), attachment patterns, and loneliness. Data were collected from 840 older adults in Israel (Mage = 74.75, SD = 5.50, range = 67-94), who provided information pertaining to SA, attachment anxiety/avoidance, and loneliness. Loneliness was associated with an older SA, as well as with high levels of attachment anxiety/avoidance. Moreover, the association between SA and loneliness was nullified for individuals with low levels of attachment anxiety/avoidance. The discussion highlights the importance of both age perceptions and attachment patterns for understanding the underlying mechanisms of late-life loneliness.

War-Related Life Course Stress and Late-Life Subjective Age in Northern Vietnam

Background and Objectives

The role of early life stressors in subjective aging is weakly understood, especially in low- to middle-income countries. This paper investigated how early life stressors encountered in armed conflict influence subjective age among Vietnamese older adults who experienced war over decades of their early life.

Research Design and Methods

We analyzed survey data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study involving 2,447 Vietnamese older adults who encountered diverse war-related stressors in early adulthood. The analytical sample (N = 2,341) included 50.9% women and 49.1% men, with an average age of 69.8. 41.1% are military veterans. We conducted survey-adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses with mediation to predict the probability of feeling younger or older than one's chronological age. We examined how childhood adversity (i.e., childhood hunger and low parental SES) and wartime stressors (i.e., war-related violence, malevolent environment, and military service) influenced late-life subjective age, both directly and as mediated by late-life mental, functional, and physical health.

Results

We found significant associations between early adulthood war-related stressors and subjective age. Formal military service significantly lessened the relative risk of feeling subjectively old, and more plentiful wartime violence exposures significantly increased the risk of feeling younger than one's chronological age. Violence exposure's effects were both direct and indirect through functional and mental health. Conversely, greater exposure to wartime malevolent conditions (e.g., shortages of clean water and evacuations) and multiple episodes of severe hunger in childhood increased the risk of feeling older, effects both direct and mediated by late-life functional and mental health.

Discussion and Implications

Results suggest wartime stressors, especially war's malevolent environments and severe childhood hunger, experienced in many conflict-affected populations globally, have the potential to subjectively "age" survivors. Yet, not all war exposures are equal, and some may yield psychological and socioeconomic resources that support healthy aging.

Longitudinal analysis of the mediating role of self-perception of aging in the relationship between frailty and intrinsic capacity: A cross-lagged mediation model

OBJECTIVES

The causal relationship between intrinsic capacity and frailty in older adults, as well as the underlying temporal mechanisms, remained poorly understood. The study aimed to investigate the causal association between intrinsic capacity and frailty while exploring the potential mediating role of self-perception of aging.

MEASUREMENTS

A survey was conducted with a sample of 429 participants who completed measures of intrinsic capacity, self-perception of aging, and frailty at baseline and were followed for one year. The relationships between these variables were assessed using an autoregressive cross-lagged model.

RESULTS

The study found reciprocal associations between intrinsic capacity and frailty (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the results indicated that self-perception of aging partially mediated the effect of frailty at baseline (T1) on intrinsic capacity at one-year follow-up (T2) (β = -0.02, confidence interval: [-0.055, -0.004]). However, the reverse causation was not observed.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This study demonstrates a bidirectional causal relationship between intrinsic capacity and frailty in older adults. Self-perception of aging plays a significant mediating role in this relationship. Older adults with a worse level of frailty should be made aware of the potentially vicious cycle related to self-perception of aging, which can negatively affect their intrinsic capacity. Maintaining a positive self-perception of aging may help preserve physical and psychological reserves, maintain intrinsic capacity, and slow the decline of frailty.

Effect of Physical Exercise on Executive Functions Using the Emotional Stroop Task in Perimenopausal Women: A Pilot Study

Exercise has beneficial effects on emotional cognitive control for the majority of the population. However, the impact of exercise on cognitive processes in perimenopausal women remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of aerobic exercise on the cognitive processes of perimenopausal women using an emotional Stroop task (EST).

METHOD

A quasi-experimental pilot study was conducted involving 14 perimenopausal women (Peri-MG) and 13 healthy young women (YG) who completed an EST before and after an aerobic cycling exercise. Mixed-effects models for repeated measures were used to analyze reaction times (RTs) and error rates (ERs) during emotional word processing (positive, negative, and neutral) for both groups.

RESULTS

Compared with the YG, the Peri-MG showed significantly shortened RTs for positive and negative emotions (p < 0.05) post-exercise, but not for neutral words. In addition, the Peri-MG exhibited significantly increased ERs for negative words at baseline compared with the YG (p < 0.05), but this difference was not observed during the post-exercise test.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that aerobic exercise can enhance executive control performance in perimenopausal women. The Peri-MG exhibited marked behavioral plasticity in the form of reduced bias to salient cues that were significantly more sensitive to alterations due to exercise. This new evidence enhances the understanding of emotional vulnerability and beneficial susceptibility to exercise in perimenopausal women.

Associations between self-perceptions of aging and social functioning in older adults: An analysis based on health and retirement study data

OBJECTIVES

Self-perception of aging (SPA) and social functioning are two important variables in the process of healthy aging, but the relationship between them is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between SPA and social functioning in older adults.

METHODS

We conducted a longitudinal study utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study. The sample comprised individuals aged 50 and above. Socio-demographic, psychosocial, and lifestyle information of study participants was systematically collected at baseline (2012 and 2014) and during follow-up four years later (2016 and 2018). SPA was measured using a scale assessing individuals' attitudes toward their aging process. Social functioning was evaluated through 22 questions, reflecting individuals' abilities to engage in and perform various roles and tasks in their daily lives. Multilevel modeling was employed to analyze the relationship between SPA and social functioning. Differences in social functioning changes among various SPA groups were assessed through the Generalized Estimating Equations methodology.

RESULTS

The study included 8,454 participants with an average age of 68.3 years (SD = 9.92). The multilevel model revealed a significant correlation between SPA and social functioning (β = 0.131; P < 0.001). This relationship persisted after adjusting the model (β = 0.088; P < 0.001). Generalized Estimating Equations indicated noteworthy differences in social functioning changes among distinct SPA groups (P = 0.034).

DISCUSSION

Positive SPA is associated with the healthy social functioning of older adults. Healthcare providers could target modifiable aspects of SPA to enhance the social function of older adults and promote successful aging.

Unveiling the multifaceted nexus of subjective aging, biological aging, and chronological age: Findings from a nationally representative cohort study

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate how subjective aging influences the psychological and behavioral responses of older individuals, specifically focusing on the associations between subjective aging and longitudinal changes in biological age.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study retrieving data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA), over a 4-year follow-up period. Subjective aging is assessed by asking participants if they perceive themselves as old, while frailty is measured using a frailty index comprising 34 deficits from various domains. Participants are categorized into three groups based on their chronological age. The association between subjective aging and transition of biological age (as indicated by an increased frailty index) from 2011 to 2015 is examined using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The study consisted of 2412 participants, who were categorized into middle-age (n = 1,082), young-old (n = 779), and old-old (n = 551) groups. Among them, individuals exhibiting subjective aging at baseline were more likely to be older in chronological age, female, illiterate, and unemployed, compared to those without subjective aging. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the association between subjective aging and an increased biological age were 1.72 [95% CI: 0.88-3.34], 1.61 [0.77-3.37], and 1.08 [0.65-1.80], in the middle-age, young-old, and old-old groups, respectively.

DISCUSSIONS

No significant associations were found between changes in biological age and subjective aging across various chronological age groups. Notably, within the younger age group, a discernible trend towards an association was observed, indicating the potential age-related nuances in the complex interrelation between subjective age, biological aging, and chronological aging.

The Role of Subjective Age in Predicting Post-Hospitalization Outcomes of Older Adults

INTRODUCTION

Studies of community-dwelling older adults find subjective age affects health and functional outcomes. This study explored whether younger subjective age serves as a protective factor against hospital-associated physical, cognitive, and emotional decline, well-known consequences of hospitalization among the elderly.

METHODS

This study is a secondary data analysis of a subsample (N = 262; age: 77.5 ± 6.6 years) from the Hospitalization Process Effects on Mobility Outcomes and Recovery (HoPE-MOR) study. Psychological and physical subjective age, measured as participants' reports on the degree to which they felt older or younger than their chronological age, was assessed at the time of hospital admission. Independence in activities of daily living, life-space mobility, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms were assessed at hospital admission and 1 month post-discharge.

RESULTS

The odds of decline in cognitive status, functional status, and community mobility and the exacerbation of depressive symptoms were significantly lower in those reporting younger vs. older psychological subjective age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.46-0.98; OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.36-0.98; OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44-0.93; OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.43-0.96, respectively). Findings were significant after controlling for demographic, functional, cognitive, emotional, chronic, and acute health predictors. Physical subjective age was not significantly related to post-hospitalization outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Psychological subjective age can identify older adults at risk for poor hospitalization outcomes and should be considered for preventive interventions.

Caregiving intensity and its association with subjective views of ageing among informal caregivers with different sociodemographic background: a longitudinal analysis from Germany

We analysed whether care time, burden and range of caregiving tasks were associated with informal caregivers' subjective views of ageing (measured as attitudes towards own age (ATOA), subjective age (SA), and onset of old age (OOA)), and whether these associations differed as a function of the caregivers' age and gender. Adjusted cluster-robust fixed effects regression analyses were conducted with gender and age as moderators using data of informal caregivers (≥ 40 years) of the population-based German Ageing Survey (2014, 2017). All three aspect of care intensity were associated with changes in subjective views of ageing and this pattern was a function of the caregiver's age and gender. Care time was significantly associated with higher SA. Care tasks were significantly associated with more positive ATOA and earlier OOA. Age moderated the association between burden and ATOA, with older adults reporting more positive ATOA. Gender moderated the association between care time and ATOA; women reported less positive ATOA than men with increasing care time, but also felt subjectively younger than men with a broader range of care tasks. Age- and gender-stratified analysis indicated further differences. Our findings suggest to reduce care time, especially among older and female caregivers, to prevent a worsening of views of ageing, while being involved in a broad range of care tasks seems to (only) benefit female caregivers.

Correlates of felt age in caregivers of people with dementia: findings from the IDEAL study

Objective

Family relationships influence how people appraise their own aging and how their appraisals impact their health. We analyzed felt age (FA) among family caregivers of people with dementia.

Methods and measures

We used a stratified sample of 1,020 spousal and 202 adult-child caregivers from the IDEAL study. We estimated cross-sectional associations and bidirectional influences between caregivers' FA and their health and wellbeing (depression, number of health conditions, stress, positive aspects of caregiving) over 2 years.

Results

Among spousal caregivers, 25% had a younger FA and 36% had an older FA. Among adult-child caregivers, 21.8% had a younger FA and 36.1% had an older FA. In spousal and adult-child caregivers an older FA was cross-sectionally associated with higher depression, number of health conditions, and stress, and fewer positive aspects of caregiving. In spousal caregivers, hours of care per day moderated the association between FA and depression, and FA was associated with stress 1 year later.

Conclusion

Caregiving may impact FA and its relationship with health. We urge continued research on the connections between caregiving and FA, and how interventions might support caregivers' positive views on their own aging, which will translate views on aging scholarship to meaningfully improve caregivers' lives.

The Relationship between Subjective Aging and Cognition in Elderly People: A Systematic Review

There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of subjective aging on health, well-being and quality of life. This review aims to synthesize findings about the link between subjective aging and cognition and cognitive decline. Furthermore, it provides an examination of variation sources such as subjective aging construct, cognitive domains, measures employed, age and moderator variables. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsychInfo and Web of Science, as well as grey literature searches in Google Scholar, OpenGrey, WorldCat and NDLTD, which resulted in 59 reports being included. Subjective aging is a relevant construct in the explanation and prediction of cognitive aging and cognitive decline in elderly adults. More positive views about own aging and self-perceptions of aging, as well as a younger subjective age, were consistently related to better cognition and lower risk of cognitive decline. However, there were differences due to subjective aging subdimensions and cognitive domains, as well as an effect of age. Additionally, there were concerns about the content validity of some measures employed, such as the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale for subjective aging and the Mini Mental State Examination for global cognition. Further studies should employ longitudinal designs with a process-based approach to cognition and precise subjective aging measures.

Self and Perceived Others' Views of Aging and Their Association with Mental Health in the Second Half of Life

This study focuses on the concepts of subjective age and subjective nearness-to-death (views-of-aging) and examines the association between individuals' chronological age, self, and others' perceptions of these variables and mental health. A total of 267 participants aged 40-95 M = 64.33 provided sociodemographic information and filled out scales assessing self and others' views-of-aging, depressive symptoms, and their well-being. After controlling for covariates, age was not related to the dependent variables, whereas young/far from death self, and perceived others' views-of-aging was related to better mental health. The interaction between young age and young/far from death perceived others', but not self, views-of-aging was associated with lower depressive symptoms and higher well-being. Finally, the interaction between young/far from death self and perceived others' views-of-aging was associated with lower depressive symptoms but not with well-being. These findings provide an initial glance at the complex relations between two types of personal views-of-aging and emphasize the importance of how individuals appraise others' perceptions of their own aging process and life expectancy.

Cognitive trajectories: exploring the predictive role of subjective cognitive decline and awareness of age-related changes for cognitive functioning

Background

We investigated whether aspects of subjective cognitive aging, including awareness of age-related gains and losses in cognition (AARC-gains, AARC-losses) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD), predict change in objective cognitive function as measured by verbal reasoning (VR) and working memory (WM).

Methods

We used longitudinal data for 3,299 cognitively healthy UK residents aged 65+. We used data on AARC and SCD assessed in 2019, and cognitive tasks assessed in 2019, 2020, and 2021. We used latent growth curve modeling, latent class growth analysis, and growth mixture modeling.

Results

For VR, multiple growth trajectories were not evident. Mean VR at baseline was 37.45; this remained stable over time. Higher AARC-gains in cognition (mean intercept = -0.23; 95%CI: -0.31; -0.16), higher AARC-losses in cognition (mean intercept = -0.37; 95%CI: -0.46; -0.28), and lower SCD (mean intercept = 2.92; 95%CI: 2.58; 3.58) were associated with poorer VR at baseline. A three-class growth mixture model-class varying best represented trajectories of WM. In Class 1 (N = 182) mean WM at baseline was 31.20; this decreased by 2.48 points each year. In Class 2 (N = 119) mean WM at baseline was 23.12; this increased by 3.28 points each year. In Class 3 (N = 2,998) mean WM at baseline was 30.11; and it remained stable. Higher AARC-gains (Odds Ratio = 1.08; 95%CI: 1.03; 1.14) and AARC-losses (Odds Ratio = 1.10; 95%CI: 1.04; 1.16) in cognition predicted greater likelihood of being in Class 2 than Class 3.

Conclusion

Although both higher AARC-gains and AARC-losses indicate poorer concurrent cognition, higher AARC-gains may be a resource that facilitates future cognitive improvement.

Age Discrepancies Across Two Decades: Desiring to be Younger Is Associated with Daily Negative Affect Over Three Waves of Assessment

Negative perceptions of aging and older adulthood, including the idealization of youth, are common in the United States. Past work has found that holding negative perceptions of aging is closely associated with poor mental and physical health consequences, yet few studies have examined how these perceptions impact day-to-day experiences. The current study had two objectives: (1) investigate whether age discrepancy (specifically desiring to be younger than one's chronological age) was related to daily negative affect and (2) examine whether this relationship changed as participants aged over time. We utilized the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) diary study, a longitudinal measurement burst study with three waves of 8-day daily diaries indexing approximately 20 years. Participants (N = 2398; Mage [baseline] = 46.85, SD = 12.24; 54.7% women; 92.4% White) reported their desired age as well as daily negative affect at each wave. Using multilevel modeling, we examined whether age discrepancy predicted daily negative affect across 3 waves of observation. Results supported a significant relationship between age discrepancy and daily negative affect. However, no interactions among age discrepancy and baseline age or time across study were found. This suggests that the relationship between age discrepancy and daily negative affect was consistent across waves and participants over a 20-year period and provides evidence for the pernicious effect of deidentifying with one's real age on daily life. Daily experiences can act as potential risk or protective factors and shape developmental trajectories. Reducing ageism through societal interventions or increasing personal acceptance of aging through targeted interventions are two potential pathways of promoting health and well-being across the lifespan.

Younger Than Ever? Subjective Age Is Becoming Younger and Remains More Stable in Middle-Age and Older Adults Today

Little is known about historical shifts in subjective age (i.e., how old individuals feel). Moving beyond the very few time-lagged cross-sectional cohort comparisons, we examined historical shifts in within-person trajectories of subjective age from midlife to advanced old age. We used cohort-comparative longitudinal data from middle-age and older adults in the German Ageing Survey (N = 14,928; ~50% female) who lived in Germany and were between 40 and 85 years old when entering the study. They provided up to seven observations over 24 years. Results revealed that being born later in historical time is associated with feeling younger by 2% every birth-year decade and with less intraindividual change toward an older subjective age. Women reported feeling younger than men; this gender gap widened across cohorts. The association of higher education with younger subjective age became weaker across cohorts. Potential reasons for the subjective-rejuvenation effect across cohorts are discussed.

Future Time Perspective and Psychological Well-Being for Older Canadian Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Relevant literature indicates that one's perception of future time is related to their psychological well-being, particularly for older adults. However, more research is needed to understand this relationship in the context of COVID-19. Older adults may be especially vulnerable to the psychological impacts of the pandemic, but findings on their psychological well-being during COVID-19 are mixed. The current study examines relationships between Future Time Perspective (FTP), COVID-19 impact, and Psychological Well-Being, and how these variables change over 8 months during the earlier period of the pandemic. The current study explored these relationships in a sample of older women in Ontario, Canada, at two time points (Mage = 70.39 at T1), who completed online Qualtrics surveys. We used hierarchical linear regressions to test our expectations that COVID-19 impact would be negatively associated with psychological well-being, whereas FTP would be positively associated with psychological well-being, and that FTP would moderate the relationship between COVID-19 impact and psychological well-being. We found partial support for these hypotheses. Our knowledge of the relationship between FTP and psychological well-being would benefit from research that continues to explore different contexts and diverse samples, to enhance understandings of important differences.

Subjective age and the association with intrinsic capacity, functional ability, and health among older adults in Norway

This study investigates the relationships between subjective age, intrinsic capacity, functional ability and health among Norwegians aged 60 years and older. The Norwegian Survey of Health and Ageing (NORSE) is a population-based, cross-sectional study of home-dwelling individuals aged 60-96 years in the former county of Oppland. Age- and sex-adjusted regression models were used to investigate the gap between subjective and chronological age and this gap's association with self-reported and objectively measured intrinsic capacity (covering all six sub domains defined by WHO), health, and functional ability among 817 NORSE participants. The results show most participants felt younger than their chronological age (86.5%), while relatively few felt the same as their chronological age (8.3%) or older (5.2%). The mean subjective age was 13.8 years lower than mean chronological age. Participants with urinal incontinence, poor vision, or poor hearing felt 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) (0.6, 5.5)], 2.9 [95% CI (0.2, 5.6)], and 2.9 [95% CI (0.3, 5.5)] years older, respectively, than participants without those conditions, whereas none of the following factors-anxiety, depression, chronic disease, Short Physical Performance Battery score, grip strength, cognition, or frailty-significantly had an impact on the gap. In line with prior research, this study finds that feeling considerably younger than one's chronological age is common at older ages. However, those with poor hearing, poor vision, and urinal incontinence felt less young compared to those not having these conditions. These relationships may exert undesirable effects on vitality and autonomy, which are considered key factors of intrinsic capacity and healthy ageing.

Predicting depression and anxiety of Chinese population during COVID-19 in psychological evaluation data by XGBoost

BACKGROUND

Due to the onset of sudden stress, COVID-19 has greatly impacted the incidence of depression and anxiety. However, challenges still exist in identifying high-risk groups for depression and anxiety during COVID-19. Studies have identified how resilience and social support can be employed as effective predictors of depression and anxiety. This study aims to select the best combination of variables from measures of resilience, social support, and alexithymia for predicting depression and anxiety.

METHODS

The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost¹) model was applied to a dataset including data on 29,841 participants that was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discriminant analyses on groups of participants with depression (DE²), anxiety (AN³), comorbid depression and anxiety (DA⁴), and healthy controls (HC⁵), were performed. All variables were selected according to their importance for classification. Further, analyses were performed with selected features to determine the best variable combination.

RESULTS

The mean accuracies achieved by three classification tasks, DE vs HC, AN vs HC, and DA vs HC, were 0.78, 0.77, and 0.89. Further, the combination of 19 selected features almost exhibited the same performance as all 56 variables (accuracies = 0.75, 0.75, and 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Resilience, social support, and some demographic data can accurately distinguish DE, AN, and DA from HC. The results can be used to inform screening practices for depression and anxiety. Additionally, the model performance of a limited scale including only 19 features indicates that using a simplified scale is feasible.

The prospective relationship between subjective aging and inflammation: Evidence from the health and retirement study

This study tested the prospective associations and potential mediators between subjective aging, indexed by subjective age and self-perceptions of aging (SPA), and a range of inflammatory markers, including C-reactive proteins (CRP) and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines among older adults. Participants (N = 6099, 59% women, age range = 50 to 94, Mean Age = 65.32, SD = 8.85) were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Subjective age, SPA, and demographic factors were assessed in 2008/2010. Assessments of soluble transformation growth factor-beta 1 (sTGF-β1), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNFR1), and high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) were measured in 2016. Potential mediators (body mass index, disease burden, physical inactivity, and depressive symptoms) were asssessed at baseline and in 2012/2014. Linear regression analyses indicated that an older subjective age and negative SPA were related to higher level of IL-10, IL-1Ra, IL-6, sTNFR1 and hsCRP. These associations were mediated by higher disease burden and physical inactivity. Negative SPA (but not subjective age) was associated with lower sTGF-β1. The link between subjective aging and inflammatory markers was relatively independent from chronological age. The present study provides new evidence that subjective aging is prospectively associated with inflammation, including systemic inflammation and pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Early life climate and adulthood mental health: how birth seasonality influences depressive symptoms in adults

BACKGROUND

Early life in-utero can have long-term influence on the mental health status of individuals in adulthood, such as depression. Age, gender, socio-economic status, education, and geography are demographic factors shown to be particularly vulnerable towards the development of depressive symptoms. In addition, climate risks on depression include sunlight, rain, and temperature. However, whether climate factors in early life have a long-term influence on depression related to demographic vulnerability remains unknown. Here, the present study explored the association between birth seasonality and adulthood depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We employed data from the project of Chinese Labour-forces Dynamic Survey (CLDS) 2016, containing the epidemiological data of depressive symptoms with a probability proportional to size cluster and random cluster sampling method in 29 provinces of China. A final sample size of 16,185 participants was included. Birth seasonality included spring (March, April, and May), summer (June, July, and August), autumn (September, October, and November), and winter (December, January, and February).

RESULTS

We found that born in Autumn peaked lowest rate of having depressive symptoms (16.8%) and born in Summer (vs. Autumn) had a significant higher ratio (OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.02, 1.29) when controlling for demographic variables. In addition, demographic odds ratio of having depressive symptoms differed between people born in different seasons, particular for age and geography.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that birth seasonality influences the sensitive link of depressive symptoms with age and geography. It implicates early life climate environment may play a role in the development of adulthood depressive symptoms.

Analysis and Classification of Music-Induced States of Sadness

The enjoyment and pleasure derived from sad music has sparked fascination among researchers due to its seemingly paradoxical nature in producing positive affect. Research is yet to develop a comprehensive understanding of this “paradox.” Contradictory findings have resulted in a great variability within the literature, meaning results and interpretations can be difficult to derive. Consequently, this review collated the current literature, seeking to utilize the variability in the findings to propose a model of differential sad states, providing a means for past and future findings to be interpreted. The proposed model is based on theoretical understanding, as such it requires full empirical support. Comparisons to alternative models, theoretical, clinical, and cognitive implications, as well as future directions are discussed.

Women's Participation in a Savings Group and Depression: a Community-Based Financial Capability Intervention in Mozambique

Background

As one of the fastest growing community-based financial capability approaches, village savings and loan group (VSLG) is an organized group and formal entity that creates opportunities for participants to save and access financial assets. VSLG has potentially positive impacts on increasing women's financial resources and social support and further improves their mental health. Participation in a VSLG not only increases women's opportunities for asset-building and income generation, but also facilitates trust and promotes social capital development. However, few studies have examined the association between the VSLG participation and women's depression status. To fill the knowledge gap, we examined the association between the VSLG participation and depressive symptoms among low-income women in Mozambique.

Methods

The data was collected as part of the VSLG program evaluation. The study applied a posttest-only comparison group quasi-experimental design and sampled female VSLG participants and non-participants from three sub-villages in the Sofala province, Mozambique. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed, and a total of 205 women were randomly selected, including 105 VSLG participants and 100 non-participants. Depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) with a summative score ranging from 7 to 28. Using the cutoff value at a score of 14, we created a dichotomous depression indicator. Linear and logit models were used to examine the associations of the VSLG participation and the participation duration with the depression score and the presence of depression controlling for demographic variables.

Results

The VSLG participants had a statistically lower mean depression score of 12.2 (SD = 4.4) compared to non-participants (15.0, SD = 4.0, p < .001). The regression analysis suggested that the VSLG participants had a mean depression score of 2.7 lower than the non-participants (p < .001). Nearly 60% of the non-participants reported the presence of depression; however, this percentage is 31% for participants (p < .001). The multivariate logit model indicated the odds of the presence of depression for participants are .34 of that for non-participants. Similar results were obtained when the VSLG program duration was used as an independent variable.

Conclusions

Study findings showed a positive association between the VSLG participation and women's mental health. Future research should further explore the intervention mechanisms and assess how the VSLG participation affects women's mental health. Findings also provided important insights into developing community-based financial capability interventions to improve low-income women's mental health.

Subjective age and its relationships with physical, mental, and cognitive functioning: A cross-sectional study of 1,004 community-dwelling adults across the lifespan

Perceived younger age is associated with positive health outcomes in existing literature. Few studies have examined these associations using a wide range of variables in large sample of adults of all ages. The objective of present study was to characterize the discrepancy between chronological age (CA) and subjective age (SA) in a large sample of community-dwelling adults across the lifespan, investigate associations with mental, physical, and cognitive health, and examine how it is related to a broad array of psychosocial variables relevant to well-being. Cross-sectional data from 1,004 individuals aged 21-100+ years from the Successful AGing Evaluation (SAGE) study were used for this analysis. Data included self-report measures of physical health (SF-36 - Physical Component), mental health composite score (created using CES-D Happiness scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, SF-36 Mental Component, Brief Symptom Inventory Anxiety Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Perceived Stress Scale), Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status - modified (TICS-m), and validated measures of various positive psychological variables such as meaning in life and optimism. On average, SA was 11.5 years younger than CA (SD 11.3). The discrepancy increased with CA. A younger SA compared to CA was associated with better mental and physical health in all age groups and was positively associated with measures of presence of meaning in life, successful aging, optimism, personal mastery, resilience, curiosity, hope, and social support. The association between age discrepancy and cognitive functioning was not statistically significant. These findings indicate that SA is potentially valuable for the purposes of clinical assessment and intervention, and this possibility should be investigated in future research.

What Determines That Older Adults Feel Younger Than They Are? Results From a Nationally Representative Study in Germany

Background

There is increasing evidence that subjective age is an important predictor of beneficial health outcomes besides chronological age. However, little is known about the factors associated with younger subjective age. This study aimed to identify which factors are predictive of feeling younger in old age. In this context, feeling younger was defined as an individual's perception of being younger than their current chronological age.

Methods

Data from 4,665 community-dwelling older people were drawn from wave 7 (2020) of the German Aging Survey (DEAS), a nationally representative study in Germany. Network, mediation, and binomial logistic regression analyses were performed to reveal the associations between feeling younger and biopsychosocial factors.

Results

A total of 4,039 participants reported feeling younger, while 626 did not. Older chronological age, engaging in sports more frequently, a better standard of living, a better state of health, higher satisfaction with life, more positive attitudes toward one's aging, and fewer depressive symptoms are associated with feeling younger in older people.

Conclusion

The present study provides novel and consistent evidence regarding the association between feeling younger and biopsychosocial factors. Further research is needed to confirm these factors and identify how they can be adapted in potential intervention studies to generate the life and health circumstances that allow older people the benefit of feeling younger.