Development in Gerotranscendence in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan: A Longitudinal Study Over a Nine-Year Period

Abstract

Gerotranscendence is associated with the physical and psychological well-being of older adults. However, findings regarding the changes in gerotranscendence based on age are inconsistent. Therefore older adults in Japan. A total of 3,011 older adults were included in this study. The total Japanese Gerotranscendence Scale Revised scores were measured in one to four surveys every 3–4 years. A linear mixed-effects, this study aimed to examine age-related changes in gerotranscendence at four time points over a 9-year period in community-dwelling model analysis was used to test the following hypotheses: 1. gerotranscendence increases with age; 2. the magnitude of increase in gerotranscendence differs by gender and age group and these effects remain significant even after adjusting for control variables. Results from the mixed-effects model showed that controlling for the number of years of education, absence of cohabitants, self-rated health, instrumental activities of daily living, and psychological well-being, average gerotranscendence increased over time. At baseline, women and older age groups reported significantly higher levels of gerotranscendence. The magnitude of the temporal change in gerotranscendence was shown to be age-related. In other words, the increase in gerotranscendence plateaued at higher old ages. Gerotranscendence is a valuable psychological function that increase during old age—associated with a decline in physical and cognitive functioning.