Citation

Zammit AR, Starr JM, Johnson W, Deary IJ. BMC Geriatr. 2012; 12(1): 64.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1471-2318-12-64

PMID

23088370

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Physical, emotional, and psychosocial wellbeing are important domains of function. The aims of this study were to explore the existence of separable groups among 70-year olds with scores representing physical function, perceived quality of life, and emotional wellbeing, and to characterise any resulting groups using demographic, personality, cognition, health and lifestyle variables. METHODS: We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify possible groups. RESULTS: Results suggested there were 5 groups. These included High (n = 515, 47.2% of the sample), Average (n = 417, 38.3%), and Poor Wellbeing (n = 37, 3.4%) groups. The two other groups had contrasting patterns of wellbeing: one group scored relatively well on physical function, but low on emotional wellbeing (Good Fitness/ Low Spirits, n = 60, 5.5%), whereas the other group showed low physical function but relatively well emotional wellbeing (Low Fitness/Good Spirits, n = 62, 5.7%). Salient characteristics that distinguished all the groups included smoking and drinking behaviours, personality, and illness. CONCLUSIONS: Despite there being some evidence of these groups, the results also support a largely one-dimensional construct of wellbeing in old age---for the domains assessed here---though with some evidence that some individuals have uneven profiles.

Language: en