Institut für Epidemiologie - Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2010 Apr 30;10:36. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-10-36.
Although aging is accompanied by diminished functioning, many elderly individuals preserve a sense of well-being. While the concept of "successful aging" has been popular for many decades, little is known about its psycho-physiologic and endocrine underpinnings. KORA-Age is a population-based, longitudinal study designed to determine the prevalence of successfully aged men and women between 65 and 94 years old in the MONICA/KORA Augsburg cohort of randomly selected inhabitants. Specifically, we aim to identify predictors of successful aging and to elucidate bio-psychosocial mechanisms that maintain mental health and successful adaptation despite adverse experiences of life and aging.
METHODS/DESIGN: Components of successful aging were assessed in a telephone survey of 4,127 participants (2008-2009) enrolled in the MONICA/KORA cohort, on average, 13 years earlier. Psychosocial, somatic and behavioural predictors are used to determine factors that contribute to successful aging. An age-stratified random sub-sample (n = 1,079) participated in a personal interview where further psychological mechanisms that may underlie successful adaptation (resilience, social support, attachment) were examined. The interactions among neuroendocrine systems in the aging process are investigated by studying the cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate ratio, the level of insulin-like growth factor I, and oxytocin.
Longitudinal determinants of successful aging can be assessed based on a follow-up of an average of 13 years. A comprehensive analysis of biological as well as physio-psychological information provides a unique opportunity to investigate relevant outcomes such as resilience and frailty in the elderly population.
尽管随着年龄的增长，身体机能会逐渐下降，但许多老年人仍能保持良好的幸福感。虽然“成功老龄化”的概念已经流行了几十年，但人们对其心理生理和内分泌基础知之甚少。KORA-Age 是一项基于人群的纵向研究，旨在确定 MONICA/KORA 奥格斯堡队列中 65 至 94 岁成功老龄化男性和女性的患病率。具体而言，我们旨在确定成功老龄化的预测因素，并阐明在面临生活和衰老的不利经历时保持心理健康和成功适应的生物心理社会机制。
方法/设计：在 MONICA/KORA 队列中对 4127 名参与者（2008-2009 年）进行了电话调查，评估了成功老龄化的组成部分。这些参与者平均在 13 年前就已登记入组。使用心理社会、躯体和行为预测因素来确定有助于成功老龄化的因素。对年龄分层的随机子样本（n=1079）进行了个人访谈，以研究可能是成功适应基础的进一步心理机制（韧性、社会支持、依恋）。通过研究皮质醇/脱氢表雄酮硫酸盐比值、胰岛素样生长因子 I 水平和催产素，研究衰老过程中神经内分泌系统的相互作用。
可以根据平均 13 年的随访来评估成功老龄化的纵向决定因素。对生物以及生理心理信息的全面分析为研究与老年人相关的结果（如韧性和脆弱性）提供了独特的机会。
