Department of Psychology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2023 May 26;78(6):1018-1024. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbad006.
Throughout 2021, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused renewed restrictions across Germany. Given the growing evidence that the pandemic negatively affects older adults' health and well-being, this study investigated health sensitivity (emotional reactions to momentary health challenges) and its moderators (age, morbidity, perceived COVID-19 risks and worries) among older adults in their everyday lives during the second and third waves of the pandemic.
Multilevel models were applied to self-reported momentary health and affect data, collected 6 times per day across 7 consecutive days in 104 participants (Mage = 76.35; range: 67-88 years), assessed between April and June 2021 (~300,000 COVID-19 cases in Germany at the time).
Health sensitivity was unrelated to age and lower with higher morbidity. Importantly, older adults showed higher health sensitivity in moments when they also perceived a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.
Findings suggest that sociocontextual factors related to the pandemic modulate emotional reactions to momentary health challenges, thereby underscoring the consequences of COVID-19 for older adults' emotional experiences.
2021 年期间，冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行在德国各地再次引发了限制措施。鉴于越来越多的证据表明，大流行对老年人的健康和福祉产生负面影响，本研究在 COVID-19 大流行的第二波和第三波期间，调查了老年人在日常生活中对健康敏感性（对短暂健康挑战的情绪反应）及其调节因素（年龄、发病情况、感知到的 COVID-19 风险和担忧）。
本研究采用多层次模型，对 104 名参与者（平均年龄=76.35 岁，年龄范围为 67-88 岁）在 2021 年 4 月至 6 月期间连续 7 天每天 6 次自我报告的即时健康和情感数据进行分析，评估了 6 次自我报告的即时健康和情感数据。当时德国约有 300,000 例 COVID-19 病例。
健康敏感性与年龄无关，与发病情况呈负相关。重要的是，当老年人感知到更高的感染 COVID-19 的风险时，他们表现出更高的健康敏感性。
研究结果表明，与大流行相关的社会文化因素调节了对短暂健康挑战的情绪反应，从而强调了 COVID-19 对老年人情绪体验的影响。
