Bidirectional Associations Between Attitudes to Aging and Quality of Life for the Older Adults in the Nursing Home: The Contemporaneous and Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analyses.

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between attitudes to aging and quality of life (QoL) among nursing home residents during "chaotic period" (within 6-8 weeks of older adults move into nursing homes) and "adjustment period" (after "chaotic period" until the third month) from a dimensional level using contemporaneous and cross-lagged panel network analyses. A total of 268 older adults completed two rounds of surveys, including the General Information Questionnaire, the Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, and the WHO Quality of Life-Brief. Psychosocial loss-psychological health and physical change-physical health were the strongest edges during the "chaotic period" and "adjustment period," respectively. The cross-lagged network revealed that QoL significantly predicted attitudes to aging, and the most influential dimension was environmental health. Findings suggest that there is a need to support older adults in psychologically adapting to life in nursing homes quickly during the "chaotic period" and to assist those experiencing negative physical change during the "adjustment period" by encouraging physical activity. The cross-lagged panel network indicates that we need to help older adults rapidly familiarize themselves with new surroundings when they first move into nursing homes.