Stability in perceived control: implications for health among very old community-dwelling adults.

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to examine how stability/variability in perceptions of control (PC) relate to a variety of health-related variables.

DESIGN

PC stability/variability across multiple domains was assessed in a longitudinal design including 318 adults, 72 to 99 years of age.

METHOD

PC and health-related measures were obtained during in-person interviews conducted approximately 3 months apart. PC variability was assessed in relation to self-reported health outcomes (perceived health, chronic health conditions, functional status) and objective measures of physician visits and hospitalizations recorded over a 4-year period in a highly reliable and comprehensive database.

RESULTS

PC variability was associated with poorer health, poorer functional status, and more physician visits and hospital admissions, even after statistically controlling for mean PC level and direction-of-change in PC.

IMPLICATIONS

Our findings suggest that health and well-being among very old individuals may be compromised by fluctuating levels of PC, or conversely, that stability in PC enhances health.