Factors connected with positive life orientation at age 70, 80, 85 and 90 - The Turku Elderly Study.

BACKGROUND

A positive life orientation (PLO) is important for staying healthy physically, mentally and functionally. However, little is known about the factors connected with PLO in home-dwelling older people, even though it is an important topic.

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify factors connected with positive life orientation among home-dwelling older people.

STUDY DESIGN

An explorative, population-based cross-sectional study of the age cohort of 70-year-olds living at home at the age of 70, 80, 85 and 90.

METHODS

The data were collected in 1991 among all residents of Turku, Finland, born in 1920 (N = 1530). Follow-ups were conducted in 2001 (n = 656), 2006 (n = 304) and 2011 (n = 156). A multiple regression analysis was conducted to estimate a model of factors that connected with PLO.

RESULTS

Several factors were significantly connected with PLO at ages 70, 80, 85 and 90. For example, if 70-year-old respondents perceived themselves as being in better health than others of the same age, it improved their PLO. We also observed that PLO was improved by good self-rated health during the past 12 months at 80, good self-rated health at 85 and good self-rated health compared to others of the same age at 90. The various explanatory models explained between 24 and 36% of the variance in outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our results showed that the respondents' own subjective views were significant independent factors of PLO in all four analyses (70, 80, 85 and 90 years). These subjective experiences remained significant even when objective indicators such as medication use, the presence of diseases and functional capacity were taken into account.