Abstract
A number of longitudinal studies have pointed to the long-term impact of different views on aging (VoA) on health in later life, whereas the reverse relationship has rarely been examined. Serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or stroke are life-threatening events which might in turn lead to changes in VoA. The present longitudinal study examined the effect of a cardiovascular event (CVE) on VoA over a three-year period using pooled data from three waves of the German Ageing Survey (2008, 2011, 2014, age range: 40–95 years). In order to account for alternative explanations for changes in VoA, individuals without CVE (n = 200) were matched to individuals who experienced a CVE (n = 202) using a propensity score matching procedure. Compared to individuals without CVE, individuals who experienced a CVE showed adverse changes in three VoA indicators (self-perceptions of aging as associated with physical losses/with ongoing development; subjective age). These results suggest that CVE can in fact change how individuals view their own aging. According to previous studies, this can lead to future health changes and thus become a health-related downward spiral. Health promotion programs could, therefore, profit by adding specific VoA interventions for individuals who experienced a CVE.
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Notes
All following analyses were computed both with this sample (n = 402) and additionally with a reduced sample (n = 400) in which those two individuals were excluded for whom no case-matched control could be identified. Because the analyses came to similar results, we report only the findings for the total sample (n = 402).
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Acknowledgements
This work is a result of the research network “Images of Aging: Via a dynamic life span model to new perspectives for research and practice,” funded by a Grant of the German Research Foundation (KL 3072/1-1). The German Ageing Survey (DEAS) was funded under Grant 301-6083-05/003*2 by the German Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth. The content is the sole responsibility of the authors.
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Wurm, S., Wiest, M., Wolff, J.K. et al. Changes in views on aging in later adulthood: the role of cardiovascular events. Eur J Ageing 17, 457–467 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00547-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00547-5