Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27887583›Full record

Observational studyBMC geriatrics2016

Impact of physical and mental health on life satisfaction in old age: a population based observational study.

Thomas Puvill, Jolanda Lindenberg, Antonius J M de Craen, Joris P J Slaets, Rudi G J Westendorp

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC geriatrics, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Thomas PuvillLeyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands. puvill@leydenacademy.nl.ORCID 0000-0001-8346-078X
Jolanda LindenbergLeyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Antonius J M de CraenDepartment of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Joris P J SlaetsLeyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Rudi G J WestendorpDepartment of Public Health and Center of Healthy Ageing, Copenhagen University, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Postboks 2099, 1014, København K, Denmark.
Leiden University Medical Center · NLUniversity Medical Center Groningen · NLUniversity of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is widely assumed that poor health lowers life satisfaction when ageing. Yet, research suggests this relationship is not straightforward. This study investigated how older people evaluate their life when facing disease and disabilities.

methodsThe Leiden 85-plus Study, a prospectively followed cohort of a cohort of a middle-sized city in the Netherlands, all aged 85 years, that was age-representative of the general population, was used. Those with severe cognitive dysfunction were excluded (n = 501). Comorbidities, physical performance, cognitive function, functional status, residual lifespan, depressive symptoms and experienced loneliness were measured during home visits. Life satisfaction was self-reported with Cantril's ladder. All analyses were performed using regression analysis.

resultsParticipants reported high life satisfaction (median 8 out of 10 points) despite having representative levels of disease and disability. Comorbidity, low cognitive function, and residual lifespan as markers of health were not associated with life satisfaction. Poor physical performance and low functional status were weakly but significantly associated with lower life satisfaction (p < 0.05 respectively p < 0.001), but significance was lost after adjustment for depressive symptoms and perceived loneliness. Depressive symptoms and perceived loneliness were strongly related to lower life satisfaction (both p < 0.001), even after adjustment for physical health characteristics.

conclusionPoor physical health was hardly related to lower life satisfaction, whereas poor mental health was strongly related to lower life satisfaction. This indicates that mental health has a greater impact on life satisfaction at old age than physical health, and that physical health is less relevant for a satisfactory old age.

Indexed as

AgingDiagnostic Self EvaluationPersonal SatisfactionQuality of LifeAged, 80 and overCognitionCohort StudiesComorbidityDepressionFemaleHealth Status DisparitiesHumansLonelinessMaleMental HealthNetherlandsCohort studyLife satisfactionMental healthPhysical healthVitality

Identifiers

PMID27887583
PMCPMC5124278
OpenAlexW2552451444

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.