SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
Purpose in Life in Older Adults: A Systematic Review on Conceptualization, Measures, and Determinants.
Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07494071 (Pilot Evaluation of ReFrame-R), which is not on this map. Cited by 31 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Pilot Evaluation of ReFrame-R: A Communication Training to Reframe Older Adults' Family Roles and Promote Active Aging
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Purpose in life and depressive symptoms: An individual-participant meta-analysis of >500,000 participants across six world regions.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Pooled it
- The association between social capital and quality of life in old adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- How to influence and cultivate young adults' life purpose in the process of education: a systematic review of empirical studies.BMC psychology · 2024Pooled it
- Determinants and indicators of successful aging as a multidimensional outcome: a systematic review of longitudinal studies.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Navigating Adversity in Older Age: An Integrative Review of Contemporary Resilience Concepts and Measurement Challenges.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Social Support and Well-Being Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Psychosocial and cognitive profiles associated with health-related quality of life and healthy aging among community-dwelling older adults: a latent profile analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Employment in Later Life: Its Multiple Benefits, Challenges, and Future Outlook.Geriatrics & gerontology international · 2026Review
- Exploring spiritual health among South Korean older adults using the ICECAP-O measure: a cross-sectional study.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2026Article
- Momentary associations between purpose in life and social connection from a micro-longitudinal study of everyday life.Acta psychologica · 2026Article
- Long-Term Tennis Participation and Self-Efficacy in Older South Korean Male Adults: A Qualitative Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- "You can't live for yourself, can you? That's just boring": perspectives on social health as a relational concept as described by community-dwelling older adults in a large Dutch city.The Gerontologist · 2026Article
- High purpose in life of older adults is associated with younger age, higher education, and being female.Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria · 2026Article
- New Zealand military Veterans' perceptions on health and well-being: A qualitative study.Journal of military, veteran and family health · 2026Article
- Perceived social support and life engagement among older adults using thermal health tourism services: the moderating role of aging anxiety.Frontiers in health services · 2026Article
- Reconceptualizing Purpose in the Third Age: From Linear Accumulation to Present-Centred Sufficiency?Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Review
- Correlates of Purpose in Life and Their Potential Role in Successful Aging Among Older Adults in Rural Japan.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- Evaluation of spiritual well-being using purpose in life (PIL) assessment among older people living in the community of South Korea: a cross-sectional study.Tropical medicine and health · 2025Article
- The Mediating Role of Meaning and Purpose in Life in the Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults in Türkiye.Journal of religion and health · 2025Article
- Aging Attitudes Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Disabilities: Gender Differences and Predictors.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose in life (PIL) is a psychological construct that reflects one's life goals and the desire or determination to pursue them. Having a purpose provides an intrinsic motivation to adopt healthy behaviors as we age, which will help us to achieve positive health outcomes. Thus, promoting PIL is the cornerstone for successful aging and better health outcomes. This systematic review aims to identify how PIL is conceptualized, measured in the existing literature and what are the determinants of PIL in older adults (≥65 years). Electronic searches were conducted in five databases (Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science). A total of 44 studies were included in the review. PIL was conceptualized in six different ways: health and well-being, meaningful goals and purpose, inner strength, social relationships, mattering to others, and spirituality and religiousness. There were six main questionnaires and semi structured interviews used to capture PIL. Female gender, higher education and income, being married, ethnicity, health and well-being, inner strength, social integration and spirituality were associated with PIL. Majority of the included studies had low to moderate Risk of Bias (RoB) assuring confidence in the results. The conceptual frameworks of PIL identified in the review underscore the complexity of the construct. Several sociodemographic and other determinants of PIL were identified.
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Registered trials
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.