TY - JOUR
T1 - Daily Functional Characteristics and Health Among Older Adults During COVID-19
T2 - A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
AU - Rosenblum, Sara
AU - Cohen Elimelech, Ortal
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Within a few years, 1 in 6 people will be aged 60 years or older. Extreme situations, such as the COVID-19 crisis, constitute a challenge to older adults. However, the literature on the daily functional characteristics of older adults in the past and during the COVID-19 crisis and their relationships to their physical and mental health is scarce. This study aimed to examine the past and present daily functional factors associated with physical and mental health in older adults. Using an online platform, 204 Israelis aged 60 years and older reported their physical health symptoms and anxiety levels. They completed questionnaires about past (negative life events and childhood daily functional self-actualization) and present (adulthood daily functional self-actualization, functional cognition and sleep quality) factors. Structural equation modeling revealed correlations between functional cognition and childhood daily functional self-actualization (β = −.18) and anxiety (β =.15); adulthood daily functional self-actualization and past negative life events (β = −.18), anxiety (β = −.50), and physical symptoms (β = −16); and sleep quality and past childhood daily functional self-actualization (β = −.19), negative life events (β =.22), anxiety (β =.18), and physical symptoms (β =.40). These findings shed light on potential functional factors for older adults’ health, indicating that these functional factors play a vital role in reducing health problems in later life.
AB - Within a few years, 1 in 6 people will be aged 60 years or older. Extreme situations, such as the COVID-19 crisis, constitute a challenge to older adults. However, the literature on the daily functional characteristics of older adults in the past and during the COVID-19 crisis and their relationships to their physical and mental health is scarce. This study aimed to examine the past and present daily functional factors associated with physical and mental health in older adults. Using an online platform, 204 Israelis aged 60 years and older reported their physical health symptoms and anxiety levels. They completed questionnaires about past (negative life events and childhood daily functional self-actualization) and present (adulthood daily functional self-actualization, functional cognition and sleep quality) factors. Structural equation modeling revealed correlations between functional cognition and childhood daily functional self-actualization (β = −.18) and anxiety (β =.15); adulthood daily functional self-actualization and past negative life events (β = −.18), anxiety (β = −.50), and physical symptoms (β = −16); and sleep quality and past childhood daily functional self-actualization (β = −.19), negative life events (β =.22), anxiety (β =.18), and physical symptoms (β =.40). These findings shed light on potential functional factors for older adults’ health, indicating that these functional factors play a vital role in reducing health problems in later life.
KW - COVID-19
KW - anxiety
KW - daily function
KW - mental health
KW - older adults
KW - physical health
KW - structural equation model
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85185494595&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00469580241233430
DO - 10.1177/00469580241233430
M3 - Article
C2 - 38385207
AN - SCOPUS:85185494595
SN - 0046-9580
VL - 61
JO - Inquiry (United States)
JF - Inquiry (United States)
ER -