Successful aging among older adults with and without disability

Disability is a common experience in older adulthood, yet biomedical perspectives do not accommodate successful aging within the context of disability. Our study integrates disability into the concept of successful aging and utilizes subjective well-being and self-rated health as indicators of successful aging. Further, we establish the link between disability and successful aging. Finally, we consider the potential for modifiable factors that hold promise in fostering successful aging in the context of disability at two distinct time periods.

We conducted repeated cross-sectional analysis of the 2011 (N = 6440) and 2020 (N = 3220) waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Disability was self-reported for mobility, hearing, and vision. Successful aging indicators included subjective well-being and self-rated health. Physical activity, and social engagement were explored as potentially modifiable protective factors. Moderation analyses tested whether protective factors were more salient for persons with disability.

Weighted analyses showed the prevalence of successful aging among those with disability to be 40 % in 2011 and 38 % in 2020. Linear regressions showed each disability to be negatively associated with successful aging indicators. Social engagement and physical activity supported successful aging indicators in both time periods. Moderation analyses showed social engagement to be especially important in 2011 for those with mobility, hearing, and two or more disabilities.

Findings underscore the importance of shifting the concept toward successful aging with disability and highlighted the promising role of modifiable factors such as physical activity and social engagement in enhancing successful aging, particularly for those with disabilities.