The Respective Roles of Negative and Positive Views of Aging in Predicting Rehabilitation Outcomes

Subjective views of aging (VoA) predict health outcomes, yet most studies rely on specific measures of VoA in relatively healthy samples. Referring to multidimensional (generalized and personal) and multidirectional (negative and positive) VoA constructs, we examined whether these VoA differentially predict rehabilitation outcomes among older adult patients coping with hip fracture and stroke.

One hundred and fifty-eight geriatric rehabilitation patients (mean age=77.15, SD=6.71) reported VoA at admission while referring to negative and positive generalized (Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, AAQ) and personal views (awareness of age-related changes, AARC). Patients' functional independence was evaluated by healthcare personnel at admission and discharge, and rehabilitation efficiency (RE) was computed to reflect functional improvement relative to potential. Path analyses tested the unique contributions of negative and positive VoA (for both generalized and personal views) while adjusting for other predictors of RE.

For both generalized and personal VoA, negative views (i.e., AAQ-Losses and AARC-Losses) predicted lower RE, whereas positive views (i.e., AAQ-growth and AARC-Gains) did not show significant effects on RE. Negative views had a significantly stronger effect on RE than positive views, but only for the AAQ subscales.

In the rehabilitation context, negative VoA, referring to age-related losses, appear more consequential for functional recovery than positive VoA (referring to age-related growth and gains). Findings support prioritizing interventions that identify and modify both generalized and personal attitudes, especially those focused on age-related losses, during rehabilitation to enhance functional outcomes.