How Well You Age Might Be Linked to Late Life Expectations

Your attitude and beliefs about getting older may play a significant role in your risk of developing major health conditions associated with aging, according to a recent study in国际老龄化与人类发展杂志。

研究人员看着244名中年和老年人的老龄化的看法，重点optimismand自我效能。据学习合作，这两者都朝着未来进行了准备凯伦妓女，博士，在俄勒冈州立大学的公共卫生和人类科学学院。

For instance, optimism is about expecting good things will happen and self-efficacy is related to believing in your control over those events. Researchers found a considerable difference in potential health outcomes between those who felt pessimistic and had less self-efficacy and those who felt optimistic and had more.

明亮的前景，更好的健康

在研究中，参与者在52-90岁的年龄范围内，他们的调查答案基于同意程度或与以下陈述的分歧，如下陈述：

• 随着年龄的增长，事情会越来越糟。
• I have as much pep as I had last year.
• As you get older, you are less useful.
• 我现在就像我年轻的时候一样快乐。
• If something can go wrong for me, it will.
• I hardly ever expect things to go my way.
• I’m always optimistic about my future.
• Overall, I expect more good things to happen me to than bad.

One caveat to the study, Hooker says, is that it’s preliminary, which means it didn’t follow the participants over time—ideally, over decades—to fully explore how their thoughts about the future shaped their health outcomes.

也就是说，研究人员确实发现更高的乐观情绪与更积极的有关衰老的自我认识那which has been shown in previous studies to lead to better health overall.

As Old As You Feel

在过去的50岁左右的研究中，那些询问他们的健康状况会像几十年后往往是正确的，甚至是死亡率。妓女指出他们往往有更好的结果随着衰老相关的问题，如：

• 心血管事件
• Cognitive health and memory
• Balance和移动性
• 住院
• 目的和将居住

“先前的研究已经表明,人positive views of aging at 50 live, on average, over seven years longer than those who don’t,” says Hooker. “Age is not just a biological construct, but also a social one. People can feel younger or older than their chronological age, and this can make a difference for their health.”

她补充说，特别是有用的，是在陈规定型观念的陈规定型观念。例如，对驾驶能力不佳，记忆问题和有限的流动性或灵活性的信念都可以成为自我实现的预言，导致老年人变得更加久坐或恐惧新的经历。

从感知到行动

For many older people, the type of negative stereotypes that surround aging can cause them to feel powerless in terms of taking charge of their health, which significantly reduces self-efficacy, saysMichelle Ogunwole, MD，约翰霍普金斯大学医学院的内科和研究员专家。

With her older patients, she usually suggests setting goals as a first step in taking control of health, since it emphasizes a brighter, more optimistic view toward the future. For example, she suggests, goals that increase self-efficacy and lead to strong health outcomes include:

• 每天都在散步，目的是在特定时间范围内进行一定的里程。
• 在地板上使用孙子们或在外面与他们一起玩活动。
• 每周至少尝试一次新的健康食谱。
• Reducing medication usage with a doctor’s help.
• 更频繁的志愿服务。
• 每周日都有视频聊天或与家庭成员呼叫。
• Embracing a new hobby like yoga, art, music, or dance.

Efforts like these make people look forward to the future and give them the type of purpose that’s been tied to better quality of life, says Ogunwole.

“There are always some issues and conditions that are out of your control, and that will happen no matter what you do,” she adds. “But even with those, your outlook will play a major part in how you handle them. Being optimistic is a habit that many people need to develop over time, by pursuing activities that make them feel healthier and stronger.”