Prem S. Fry

Factor structure and invariance of personal meaning measures in cohorts of younger and older adults

The purpose of the present study was to examine the factor structure and factorial invariance of measures of personal meaning (i.e. the existential belief that life has purpose and coherence) in cohorts of younger and older adults. Samples of 163 young adults and 144 older adults completed six measures of personal meaning in life. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess structure and structural invariance. The results show that a general second-order model of personal meaning best characterizes the factor structure of personal meaning of both younger and older adults. Factorial invariance across younger and older adults was demonstrated at the first-order factor level, but not at the second-order level. A test of age differences between the means of the six latent personal meaning factors revealed no significant differences, although there was a tendency for older adults to experience greater meaning in life. Implications for the use of personal meaning measures in cross-sectional and longitudinal research are discussed.

Self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of loneliness and psychological distress in older adults.

Sociodemographic variables, social support, and physical health have been used previously in a few predictor models of loneliness and psychological distress in late life. The present study, however, was designed to test the hypothesis that self-efficacy beliefs of elderly persons are significantly stronger predictors of loneliness and psychological distress than are demographics, social support, and physical health variables used in earlier predictor models. A sample of 141 women and 101 men, aged 65 to 86, reporting a wide range of health status from “poor” to “excellent” was drawn from the region of Southern Alberta. Standard self-report measures were used to assess perceived self-efficacy in eight different domains. Findings from a series of hierarchical regression analyses that were conducted separately for men, women, and the combined sample supported the hypothesis concerning the superiority of the self-efficacy variables as predictors of loneliness and psychological distress. Gender-specific variations revealed that womens stronger self-efficacy domains in the interpersonal, social, and emotional realms, and mens stronger self-efficacy beliefs in the instrumental, financial, and physical realms predicted less loneliness and psychological distress. Spiritual self-efficacy emerged as being the most potent predictor, accounting for the largest percentage of explained variance in loneliness and psychological distress in the womens and combined sample. Implications of the findings are discussed for geriatric practitioners and clinicians.

Guest Editorial: Aging and Quality of Life (QOL)—The Continuing Search for Quality of Life Indicators

Next to the human quest for prolonging life is the most pervading quest for improving its quality and elevating the psychological well-being of individuals. For most older adults the promise of longevity is not a simple blessing, but is becoming a growing challenge and growing concern. Although most older adults are not frail and dependent as depicted by the aging stereotypes (National Centre for Health Statistics, NCHS, 1991, 1993), the exponentially increasing numbers of older adults and the particular conditions and circumstances of their changing psychological health, and changing social and environmental conditions, do put them at greater risk for diminishing life satisfactions, morale, and well-being. Hence, quality of life is an important area of research for social scientists with significant implications for how quality of life concerns of an increasingly diverse and aging population should be assessed and evaluated in order that ultimately their Quality of Life (QOL) be improved. A major challenge to social scientists and researchers is the problem associated with defining and measuring the nebulous and elusive concept of quality of life. Although there may be a general popular agreement about what constitutes quality of life, there is still considerable debate in the scientific community over its precise definition and measurement. One of the unresolved issues in gerontological research has been the growing concern about the definition and measurement of quality of life. Careful definition and measurement of quality of life with respect to aging is of special significance, especially for elderly persons since their quality of life may often become compromised by a complexity of related physical and mental health declines. Consequently, it is noteworthy that changes in subjective well-being have hitherto been neglected in studies of aging. Similarly, there is little work dealing with attempts to develop or construct standardized measurements of perceived quality of life of older adults. INT’L. J. AGING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, Vol. 50(4) 245–261, 2000

Perfectionism and other related trait measures as predictors of mortality in diabetic older adults: A six-and-a-half-year longitudinal study

After baseline assessment of health and perfectionism trait measures, 385 diabetic older adults were followed for six-and-a-half years. We hypothesized that the potential for increased stress associated with perfectionism leads to an increased risk of impending mortality for diabetics. Contrary to our hypothesis, mortality risk was 29 percent lower for high scorers on the perfectionism (self-oriented) dimension, compared to low scorers. In contrast, Cox regression analysis showed that high scores on measures of dysfunctional perfectionistic attitudes and dysfunctional dependency, which in many respects parallel the perfectionism (self-oriented) measure, were associated with an increased risk of mortality. Implications of findings are discussed.