Development of the 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging Survey

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Aging Research
• Psychometrics and Survey Development
• Public Health and Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Assessing expectations regarding aging is crucial for understanding older adults' perspectives.
• The original 38-item Expectations Regarding Aging Survey (ERA-38) is comprehensive but lengthy.
• A shorter, validated instrument is needed for efficient data collection and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a short version of the Expectations Regarding Aging Survey (ERA-38).
• To create a reliable and valid 12-item survey (ERA-12) for measuring expectations about aging.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the shortened survey in diverse older adult populations.

Main Methods:

• Item selection from the ERA-38 based on qualitative criteria and factor analysis.
• Evaluation of factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity using two independent samples of adults aged 65+.
• Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability re-evaluation using 2001 data.

Main Results:

• The 12-item ERA-12 demonstrated strong support for a four-factor structure (physical, mental, cognitive health, and global aging expectations).
• All scales exhibited high internal consistency reliability (alpha > 0.74) in both samples.
• The ERA-12 explained over 88% of the variance in the original ERA-38 total score, showing comparable associations with age and health.

Conclusions:

• The 12-item Expectations Regarding Aging Survey (ERA-12) is a reliable and valid measure for assessing expectations about aging.
• The ERA-12 provides an efficient tool for researchers and clinicians studying aging perceptions.
• This shortened survey facilitates the study of aging expectations across diverse older adult populations.