engleski

Specific associations among psychosocial variables, health and survival in older persons

Different authors have offered different hypotheses and theoretical definitions of the association between survival and physical health, and survival and psychosocial factors. Also, the existing empirical research findings show noticeable inconsistencies regarding both the role and the significance of psychosocial factors in their association with health and survival in older people. The aim of this research is to investigate the potential differences in these associations for groups of older persons with different sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: The participants in this research were 814 older persons, 537 women and 276 men, on average 76 years old at baseline data collection. The participants’ data were collected in 1998, by survey questionnaire consisting of measurement scales, administered individually in the form of structured interview, by the trained interviewer, and followed up until the end of participants’ life. Results: Women survived longer than men, especially never married women. Participants’ educational status did not contribute significantly to survival. Combinations of multivariate analyses showed that psychosocial variables: self-assessed health, functional ability, and social support, significantly contributed to the prediction of survival. Thus, biological status, psychophysical health, and psychosocial status, respectively, contributed the most in explaining survival.

psychosocial variables; health; survival; older persons

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