Quality of Life Trajectories Predict Mortality in Older Men: The Manitoba Follow-Up Study

To describe quality of life trajectories of older men over a 10-year time frame in mental and physical health domains, and to determine if these trajectories predict death over a subsequent 9-year period.

A cohort study of Royal Canadian Air Force aircrew veterans. We used Short Form-36 (SF-36) measures of mental and physical functioning collected prospectively at six time points between 1996 to 2006 (734 men with a mean age of 85.5 [ SD 3.0] years in 2006) to determine trajectories. Continued contact with the cohort from 2006 to 2015 determined subsequent mortality.

Men were more likely to maintain high levels of mental functioning than physical functioning. Thirty-seven percent of participants maintained a high level of both mental and physical functioning. Declining function in either mental or physical function was associated with lower survival.

Men who maintain physical and mental functioning have a lower mortality rate.