Age identity, age perceptions, and health: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

This study explores the association between age identity, perceptions of age, and health. It uses data from the first and second waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The sample consists of 8780 men and women. Four independent variables were used: perceptions of when middle age ends and old age starts, and the ages respondents would like to be and felt they were (desired and self-perceived ages). The outcomes variables were: self-assessed health, self-reported limiting long-standing illness or disability, hypertension, and diabetes. Statistical analysis included descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate tests. A series of logistic regression models were estimated, which were adjusted for age, sex, marital/cohabitation status, and socioeconomic position. The analysis showed that self-perceived age and perceived chronological end of middle age related to all four health outcomes over and above other covariates. In contrast, desired age did not relate to any of the outcomes, while perceived start of old age related only to self-reported health dimensions. These findings indicate the importance of age identity and age perceptions for health in old age.