School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
Centre for Global Health, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 13;20(4):3259. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043259.
Optimism is a disposition characterised by positive future expectancies, while pessimism is characterised by expecting the worst. High optimism and low pessimism promote the health of older adults and may potentiate full engagement in life. We identified socioeconomic, behavioural, and social factors associated with optimism and pessimism in older adults.
Participants included 10,146 community-dwelling, apparently healthy Australian adults aged 70 years and over from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP). Optimism and pessimism were measured using the revised Life Orientation Test. Cross-sectional ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the socioeconomic, behavioural, and social health factors associated with optimism and pessimism.
Higher education, greater physical activity, lower loneliness, and volunteering were associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism. Low social support was associated with higher pessimism. Higher socioeconomic advantage, greater income, and living alone were associated with lower pessimism. Women were more optimistic and less pessimistic than men. The association of age, smoking status, and alcohol consumption with optimism and pessimism differed for men and women.
Factors associated with higher optimism and lower pessimism were also those demonstrated to support healthy ageing. Health-promotion action at the individual level (e.g., smoking cessation or regular physical activity), health professional level (e.g., social prescribing or improving access and quality of care for all older adults), and community level (e.g., opportunities for volunteer work or low-cost social activities for older adults) may improve optimism and reduce pessimism, possibly also promoting healthy ageing.
乐观是一种以积极的未来预期为特征的性格，而悲观则以预期最坏的情况为特征。高度的乐观和低度的悲观会促进老年人的健康，并可能促进他们充分参与生活。我们确定了与老年人的乐观和悲观相关的社会经济、行为和社会因素。
参与者包括来自 ASPREE 老年人纵向研究（ALSOP）的 10146 名居住在社区、健康状况良好的澳大利亚 70 岁及以上的成年人。乐观和悲观情绪使用修订后的生活取向测试进行测量。使用横断面有序逻辑回归来确定与乐观和悲观相关的社会经济、行为和社会健康因素。
较高的教育程度、更多的身体活动、较低的孤独感和志愿服务与更高的乐观度和更低的悲观度相关。较低的社会支持与更高的悲观度相关。较高的社会经济优势、较高的收入和独居与较低的悲观度相关。女性比男性更乐观，悲观程度更低。年龄、吸烟状况和饮酒与乐观和悲观的关系在男性和女性中有所不同。
与更高的乐观度和更低的悲观度相关的因素也是支持健康老龄化的因素。在个人层面（例如，戒烟或定期进行身体活动）、医疗保健专业人员层面（例如，社会处方或改善所有老年人的获得和护理质量）和社区层面（例如，为老年人提供志愿服务或低成本社交活动的机会）采取促进健康的行动可能会提高乐观度，降低悲观度，可能还会促进健康老龄化。
