Health-specific optimism mediates between objective and perceived physical functioning in older adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Self-reports of physical health in older adults may not align with objective health status.
• Optimism can bias subjective health perceptions.
• Understanding factors influencing subjective physical functioning is crucial for aging research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interplay between objective physical functioning, health-specific optimism, and self-efficacy in older adults.
• To determine how optimism and self-efficacy modify the relationship between objective and subjective physical functioning.
• To explore predictors of subjective physical functioning in older adults with multimorbidity.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study design with three measurement points over six months.
• Inclusion of 309 older adults (aged 65-85) with multimorbidity.
• Regression analyses examining objective physical functioning, health-specific optimism, and self-efficacy as predictors of subjective physical functioning.

Main Results:

• Objective physical functioning and optimism significantly predicted subjective physical functioning.
• Optimism acted as a mediator in the relationship between objective and subjective physical functioning.
• A significant interaction effect was observed: optimism predicted subjective physical functioning only in individuals with low self-efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Subjective physical functioning in older adults is influenced by both objective health indicators and health-specific optimism.
• Optimism plays a more significant role in shaping subjective physical functioning for older adults with lower self-efficacy.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy may be important for older adults to accurately perceive their physical health.