Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Oct 1;25(4):10.1080/15528030.2013.765368.
doi: 10.1080/15528030.2013.765368.

Perceptions of Longevity and Successful Aging in Very Old Adults

Katie E Cherry  1 , Loren D Marks  1 , Tim Benedetto  1 , Marisa C Sullivan  1 , Alyse Barker  1 ; for the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study
Affiliations

Perceptions of Longevity and Successful Aging in Very Old Adults

Katie E Cherry et al. J Relig Spiritual Aging. .

Abstract

We examined perceptions of longevity and successful aging in young-old (60 to 74 years), old-old (75 to 89 years), and oldest-old (90 + years) adults drawn from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Participants' responses to three open-ended questions that assessed their attributions for longevity, what they look forward to, and advice for younger persons today were compared. Content analyses yielded three emergent themes: maintaining physical, mental, and relational well-being; living a healthy life; and living a faithful life. Implications of these findings for current views on successful aging and insights for promoting a long and healthy life are considered.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abeles RP, Gift HC, Ory MG. Aging and quality of life. NY: Springer: 1994.
    1. Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Profiles of Older Americans 2011. 2012 Retrieved March 25, 2012 from http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/Profile/index.aspx.
    1. Baltes PB, Baltes MM. Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences. Cambridge, UK: University Press; 1990.
    1. Berkman LF, Seeman TE, Albert M, Blazer D, Kahn R, Mohs R, et al. High, usual and impaired functioning in community-dwelling older men and women: Findings from the MacArthur Foundation research network on successful aging. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 1993;46:1129–1140. - PubMed
    1. Borchelt M, Gilberg R, Horgas AL, Geiselmann B. On the significance of morbidity and disability of old age. In: Baltes PB, Mayer KU, editors. The Berlin aging study: Aging from 70 to 100. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1999. pp. 403–429.

LinkOut - more resources