Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York.
Gerontologist. 2019 Jul 16;59(4):727-737. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnx198.
Though many models of successful aging exist, there is a need for assessments of the empirical validity of these models and their measures. This study tests the validity of the multidimensional model of successful aging presented by Young and colleagues.
Expanding on an earlier validation study, this analysis uses 1,211 respondents from the Americans' Changing Lives (ACL) study to determine predictive and discriminant validity. Respondents were surveyed in 1986, 1989, and 1994, providing an opportunity to assess if a baseline 5-point successful aging scale is associated with present and future outcomes. Validators include self-report items and interviewer recorded observations. In addition, a survival analysis of 24 years of ACL mortality data is conducted to confirm that baseline successful aging decreases risk of all-cause mortality.
Results illustrate that, in some cases as far as 8 years in the future, low successful aging scores correspond with higher risk of future hospitalization and depressive episodes, interviewer observed difficulty moving around, low self-rated health, and decreased life satisfaction. Lowest scorers also had a 356% higher risk of mortality compared to individuals with the highest scores.
These findings provide further evidence that Young and colleagues' successful aging construct is empirically valid and could be applied in future research and practice. Most respondents had middling scores, suggesting that future analyses should be cautious about concealing heterogeneity by operationalizing successful aging as a binary outcome.
尽管存在许多成功老龄化的模式，但仍需要评估这些模式及其衡量标准的实证有效性。本研究检验了 Young 及其同事提出的多维成功老龄化模型的有效性。
在先前的验证性研究的基础上，本分析使用来自美国人生活变化（ACL）研究的 1211 名受访者，以确定预测性和判别有效性。受访者在 1986 年、1989 年和 1994 年接受了调查，有机会评估基线的 5 分成功老龄化量表是否与现在和未来的结果相关。验证因素包括自我报告的项目和访谈者记录的观察。此外，还对 ACL 死亡数据进行了 24 年的生存分析，以确认基线成功老龄化降低了全因死亡率的风险。
结果表明，在某些情况下，甚至在未来 8 年内，低成功老龄化评分与未来住院和抑郁发作、访谈者观察到的行动困难、低自我报告健康和生活满意度下降的风险增加相关。与得分最高的个体相比，得分最低的个体的死亡率风险高 356%。
这些发现进一步证明了 Young 及其同事的成功老龄化结构具有实证有效性，并可应用于未来的研究和实践。大多数受访者的得分居中，这表明未来的分析应该谨慎，不要将成功老龄化操作化为二元结果，从而掩盖异质性。
