This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Harris, J. R. Articles by Nesselroade, J. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Harris, J. R. Articles by Nesselroade, J. R. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Age Differences in the Etiology of the Relationship between Life Satisfaction and Self-Rated Health

Karolinska Institute

Nancy L. Pedersen, PhD

Karolinska Institute and Pennsylvania State University

Candace Stacey, PhD

University of Calgary

G. E. McClearn, PhD

Pennsylvania State University

John R. Nesselroade, PhD

University of Virginia

This study explores age differences in the genetic and environmental influences that may mediate the relationship between life satisfaction and self-rated health. The participants are from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA), which includes 99 pairs of identical twins reared apart, 166 pairs of identical twins reared together, 238 pairs of fraternal twins reared apart, and 221 pairs of fraternal twins reared together. A mailed questionnaire included four items inquiring about perceived health and the 13-item shortened version of the Life Satisfaction Index, which yielded a general principal component for life satisfaction. Important age differences were found in the etiology of individual differences for each scale and in the factors that mediate the relationship between the measures. In the group younger than 65 years, the correlation between life satisfaction and perceived health can be explained entirely by environmental influences. For the group aged 65 and older, both genetic and environmental effects contribute substantially to the relationship. These age differences may reflect age-related changes, cohort effects, or both.

Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 4, No. 3, 349-368 (1992)
DOI: 10.1177/089826439200400302


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Paunio, T. Korhonen, C. Hublin, M. Partinen, M. Kivimaki, M. Koskenvuo, and J. Kaprio Longitudinal Study on Poor Sleep and Life Dissatisfaction in a Nationwide Cohort of Twins Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2009; 169(2): 206 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Svedberg, M. Gatz, P. Lichtenstein, S. Sandin, and N. L. Pedersen Self-Rated Health in a Longitudinal Perspective: A 9-Year Follow-Up Twin Study J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., November 1, 2005; 60(6): S331 - S340. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Svedberg, P. Lichtenstein, and N. L. Pedersen Age and Sex Differences in Genetic and Environmental Factors for Self-Rated Health: A Twin Study J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., May 1, 2001; 56(3): S171 - S178. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Bardage, D. Isacson, and N. L. Pedersen Self-rated health as a predictor of mortality among persons with cardiovascular disease in Sweden Scand J Public Health, January 1, 2001; 29(1): 13 - 22. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. Christensen, N. V. Holm, M. Mcgue, L. Corder, and J. W. Vaupel A Danish Population-Based Twin Study on General Health in the Elderly J Aging Health, February 1, 1999; 11(1): 49 - 64. [Abstract] [PDF]