MEANING IN LIFE AND WILL TO LIVE AS PREDICTORS OF WELL-BEING IN CENTENARIANS

Existential factors such as meaning in life and will to live are assumed to be important factors for well-being in very old age, yet only few studies have examined these variables in centenarians to date. The present study investigates the effect of meaning in life and will to live in the context of...

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Published in:Innovation in aging 2017-07, Vol.1 (suppl_1), p.1294-1294
Main Authors: Jopp, D.S., Meystre, C., Lampraki, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Existential factors such as meaning in life and will to live are assumed to be important factors for well-being in very old age, yet only few studies have examined these variables in centenarians to date. The present study investigates the effect of meaning in life and will to live in the context of age-associated health restrictions (number of diseases, subjective health, health restrictions), using data from the Fordham Centenarian Study (N = 119, Mage = 99.25 years). Regression findings indicated that both meaning in life and will to live had strong direct effects on well-being, including life and aging satisfaction. Health factors were, in comparison, less important or non-significant. Significant mediation or moderation effects were not found. In sum, findings underscore the important role of existential factors in very advanced age and underscore the importance of addressing these factors to ensure high quality of life in very old age.
ISSN:2399-5300
2399-5300
DOI:10.1093/geroni/igx004.4729