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Related Experiment Videos

Harm avoidance and disability in old age.

Robert S Wilson1, Aron S Buchman, Steven E Arnold

  • 1Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center and Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. rwilson@rush.edu

Experimental Aging Research
|June 7, 2006
PubMed
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Personality traits like harm avoidance (HA) are linked to disability in older adults. High HA levels significantly increase the likelihood of reporting mobility limitations, primarily due to fatigability and fear of uncertainty.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Psychology
  • Disability Studies

Background:

  • The relationship between personality and disability in aging populations remains underexplored.
  • Harm avoidance (HA), characterized by worry and fear of uncertainty, is a key personality trait.
  • Understanding personality's role in disability can inform targeted interventions for older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between harm avoidance (HA) and disability in older adults without dementia.
  • To determine if specific components of HA, such as fatigability and fear of uncertainty, contribute to disability.
  • To examine potential confounding or modifying factors in the HA-disability relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 474 older adults without dementia was assessed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Participants completed the Harm Avoidance (HA) scale and self-reported mobility limitations using the Rosow-Breslau scale.
  • Physical mobility was objectively measured using performance-based tests of lower limb function (gait, balance, strength).

    • Main Results:

    • Individuals with high harm avoidance (HA) were nearly three times more likely to report mobility limitations compared to those with low HA, after controlling for covariates.
    • The association between HA and disability was primarily driven by fatigability and fear of uncertainty.
    • This relationship was independent of frailty, physical activity, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, extraversion, and cognitive function.

    Conclusions:

    • Harm avoidance (HA) is a significant predictor of self-reported mobility disability in older adults.
    • Fatigability and fear of uncertainty are key mechanisms linking HA to disability.
    • Personality traits, specifically HA, offer a novel perspective for understanding and potentially mitigating disability in aging.