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Capturing Successful Aging in Daily Life: Exploring the Intensive Longitudinal Findings From a U.S. National Sample
Dwight C K Tse1, Kelsey P Finley2, Linzi F Crawford1
1Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
The Gerontologist
|September 2, 2024
Summary
Successful aging is dynamic, varying daily with symptoms, functioning, and engagement. Understanding these daily fluctuations offers older adults greater life control and highlights micro-level contributors to successful aging.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Successful aging traditionally viewed as static.
- Dynamic approach needed to capture daily variations.
- Daily actions contribute to perceived control in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate daily successful aging.
- Examine intraindividual variability in aging indicators.
- Explore links between daily experiences and successful aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 8-day diary data from a national sample of older adults (N=716).
- Collected daily reports on physical symptoms, functioning, and engagement.
- Assessed daily stressors, positive events, and correlated with health/well-being.
Main Results:
- Found substantial within-person variability in successful aging indicators.
- Daily stressors and positive events associated with aging indicators.
- Personal mean levels of aging indicators linked to health, but SDs less consistent.
Conclusions:
- Intraindividual variations in daily aging indicators are observable.
- Challenges static view of successful aging.
- Emphasizes "micro-level" contributors to successful aging.
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