Seniors' Assessment of Their Health and Life Satisfaction: The Case for Contextual Evaluation

Health care professionals have been puzzled by the highly positive statements on health and life satisfaction made by seniors, particularly when compared to professionally collected data. In 1987–1988, a stratified, random sample of 520 seniors living independently in the community (70–99 years) wer...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of aging & human development 1992-01, Vol.35 (4), p.305-317
Main Authors: Stolar, G. Elaine, Macentee, Michael I., Hill, Patricia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult. Elderly
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
British Columbia
Canada
Content analysis
Developmental psychology
Foreign Countries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geriatric Assessment
Health
Health Problems
Health services
Health Status
Historical development
Humans
Life Satisfaction
Medical personnel
Older Adults
Older people
Personal Satisfaction
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self Concept
Self Evaluation (Individuals)
Surveys and Questionnaires
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Health care professionals have been puzzled by the highly positive statements on health and life satisfaction made by seniors, particularly when compared to professionally collected data. In 1987–1988, a stratified, random sample of 520 seniors living independently in the community (70–99 years) were interviewed in their own homes. The above response pattern again held. However, it was apparent that opinions on life satisfaction vary with type of health problem. Content analysis of the spontaneous remarks made by the participants indicates that the overall, current, and anticipated levels of satisfaction expressed were associated significantly with the historical perspective or lifeview of the participants, and with their state of health. Utilizing the theoretical concept “sense of coherence” gives direction to understanding these phenomena.
ISSN:0091-4150
1541-3535
DOI:10.2190/NEK7-5WGN-YEQU-N2CN