Quality of life attenuates age-related decline in functional status of older adults

Yuval Palgi, Amit Shrira, Oleg Zaslavsky

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: In the present study, we aimed to examine the total and moderating effects of needs-satisfaction-driven quality-of-life (QoL) measure on age-related change in functional status. Methods: Participants in the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (N = 18,781 at Wave 1) completed a measure of QoL (CASP-12) at baseline and reported their functional status across subsequent three waves using activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and functional limitation indices. Results: Growth-curve model estimates revealed that aged individuals with lower QoL scores at baseline had a steeper increase in disability deficits accumulation and functional limitation progression than their counterparts with a higher sense of QoL. The effects were more pronounced in ADL and IADL disability scales in which QoL moderated both linear and quadratic age-related changes. Conclusions: Higher QoL attenuates processes of functional decline in late adulthood. Practitioners may seek strategies for improving and enhancing patients’ QoL, as its salutary effects diffuse beyond psychological experience and include long-term effects on physical functioning.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1835-1843
Number of pages9
JournalQuality of Life Research
Volume24
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 21 Aug 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Accelerated decline
  • Disability
  • Functional limitation
  • Functional status
  • Older adults
  • Quality of life

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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