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Emotional Vitality Among Disabled Older Women: The Women's Health and Aging Study
Author(s) -
Penninx Brenda W.J.H.,
Guralnik Jack M.,
Simonsick Eleanor M.,
Kasper Judith D.,
Ferrucci Luigi,
Fried Linda P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1998.tb02712.x
Subject(s) - vitality , context (archaeology) , medicine , emotional well being , gerontology , anxiety , quality of life (healthcare) , mental health , demographics , population , clinical psychology , psychiatry , demography , philosophy , paleontology , theology , nursing , environmental health , sociology , biology
OBJECTIVE: To examine correlates of high overall level of emotional functioning (emotional vitality) in disabled older women. DESIGN: A community‐based study: The Women's Health and Aging Study. POPULATION: A total of 1002 moderately to severely disabled women aged 65 and older living in the community. MEASUREMENTS: Emotional vitality was defined as having a high sense of personal mastery, being happy, and having low depressive symptomatology and anxiety. Correlations with demographics, health status, and social context were examined. RESULTS: Despite their physical disabilities, 35% of the 1002 disabled older women were emotionally vital. The percent of emotionally vital women declined with increasing severity of disability. After adjustment for disability status, a significantly increased likelihood for being emotionally vital was found for black race (OR = 1.69) and for having higher income (OR = 1.77), better cognition (OR = 2.36), no vision problems (OR = 1.61), adequate emotional support (OR = 2.54), and many face‐to‐face contacts (OR = 1.64). Having more than one negative life event reduced the likelihood of emotional vitality (OR = 0.57). CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of even the most disabled older women can be described as emotionally vital. Findings also suggest that emotional vitality is not solely a function of stable, enduring individual characteristics but that health status, disability, and sociodemographic context also have an influence on emotional vitality.