"Many people have examples... but we tend to classify them as exceptions or exemplars."
A 12-year study analyzing data from over 11,000 U.S. adults aged 50 and older found that nearly half of participants experienced improvements in cognitive or physical functioning over time. The research, published in the journal Geriatrics, also identified a statistical link between positive beliefs about aging and these improvements.
Study Methodology
Researchers led by Becca R. Levy, a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, and co-author Martin Slade from the Yale School of Medicine analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey.
- Participants: 11,000 individuals aged 65 and older, or aged 50 to 99, depending on the source.
- Duration: The study tracked participants for a 12-year follow-up period.
- Cognitive Assessment: Cognitive performance was measured using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS).
- Physical Assessment: Physical functioning was evaluated by measuring walking speed.
- Age Beliefs Measurement: Age beliefs were measured using the Attitude Toward Aging subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and word association tasks.
Key Findings
The study reported that improvements in later life were both possible and common.
- Overall Improvement: Approximately 45% of participants showed measurable improvement in either cognitive function, physical function, or both over the 12-year period.
- Cognitive Improvement: 32% of participants showed improvement in cognitive performance.
- Physical Improvement: 28% of participants showed improvement in walking speed.
- Stability: When including participants whose function remained stable, 51% demonstrated stable or improved cognitive function, and 38% showed stable or improved walking speed.
- Clinical Significance: Many of the observed gains exceeded clinically meaningful thresholds, and the rates of improvement surpassed the U.S. Healthy People 2030 initiative's benchmark of 11.5%.
"Age is not disease; age is just time."
Correlation with Age Beliefs
The study found that participants' baseline beliefs about aging were a predictor of their health outcomes.
- Individuals with more positive age beliefs were significantly more likely to show improvements in both cognitive function and walking speed.
- This relationship remained significant even after researchers accounted for factors such as age, sex, education, chronic disease, depression, and length of follow-up.
- The link between positive beliefs and health outcomes was also observed among participants who began the study with normal baseline levels of cognitive or physical function.
Expert Commentary
- Becca R. Levy (Lead Author, Yale School of Public Health): The findings support Levy's stereotype embodiment theory, which suggests that age stereotypes absorbed from culture can become biologically consequential.
- Julia Lappin (Professor, UNSW): "In being positive, with that comes behaviors that contribute to better physical health."
- Kaarin Anstey (Professor, UNSW Ageing Futures Institute): Having a positive view leads people to proactively address health issues rather than dismissing them as inevitable.
- Brian Draper (Professor, UNSW): "The happiest time of life is as you get older," noting that depression rates are lowest in Australians aged 65–85.
- Rod McKay (Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame): Stated that age discrimination in employment persists despite an aging population and later retirements.
Study Implications
The researchers stated that these findings challenge the perception of continuous, inevitable decline in aging. They suggested that promoting more positive attitudes toward aging could have implications for healthcare practices, policies, and individual behaviors aimed at supporting healthy aging. The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.