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Journal of Aging and Health
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0898264308329023v1
21/2/398    most recent
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Article

Increased Mortality Risk in Older Adults With Persistently Low or Declining Feelings of Usefulness to Others

Tara L. Gruenewald, PhD, MPH1*, Arun S. Karlamangla, MD/PhD2, Gail A. Greendale, MD3, Burton H. Singer, PhD4, and Teresa E. Seeman, PhD3

1 Assistant Professor, department of Medicine/Geriatrics
2 Associate Professor, Department of Medicine/Geriatrics
3 Professor, Department of Medicine/Geriatrics
4 Institute on Aging

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tgruenewald{at}mednet.ucla.edu.


  Abstract
Objective: This study seeks to determine if persistently low or declining feelings of usefulness to others in later life predict increased mortality hazard in older adults. Method: Data on change in perceptions of usefulness, health, behavioral and psychosocial covariates, and mortality originate from the MacArthur Study of Successful Aging, a prospective study of 1,189 older adults (aged 70 to 79). Results: Older adults with persistently low feelings of usefulness or who experienced a decline to low feelings of usefulness during the first 3 years of the study experienced a greater hazard of mortality (sociodemographic adjusted hazard ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval = 1.22, 2.51) during a subsequent 9-year follow-up as compared to older adults with persistently high feelings of usefulness. Discussion: Older adults with persistently low perceived usefulness or feelings of usefulness that decline to a low level may be a vulnerable group with increased risk for poor health outcomes in later life.

First published on December 22, 2008, doi:10.1177/0898264308329023

Journal of Aging and Health 2009;21:398.

A more recent version of this article appeared on April 1, 2009

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