SUCCESSFUL AGING: THE CONTRIBUTION OF PERSONALITY VARIABLES

"Understanding social, economic, and psychological factors are important for promoting elderly health. Rowe and Kahn (1997) described three main components for ""successful aging"" (SA): avoiding disability and disease, high cognitive and physical capacities, and active engagement in one's life. Psychological dimensions (i.e., personality) have not been sufficiently studied yet. However, they could be considered to define SA. This study aimed to determine whether physical, cognitive, social, and personality factors were associated with SA. A total of 2109 participants living at home (53.39% men; mage =75,38±8.11) – from the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE dataset release 7.0.0 of 2017) – completed questionnaires measuring physical (mobility, number of diseases, IADL, BMI) and cognitive (memory, executive function) health, social engagement, and personality (Big Five Inventory). These variables were gathered into three distinct blocks: sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex), model’s Rowe and Kahn variables (physical, cognitive, social engagement), and personality. SA was assessed by the Euro depression scale. A correlation matrix was computed to examine the interrelationships between all variables. We then performed linear regression analysis when it was appropriate. A higher level of motor and cognitive abilities correlated with a lower level of depressive symptoms (r=0.34; p<.001; r=-.20; p<.001; r=-.17; p<.001). The number of diseases was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.26; p<.001). The more engaged people were, the fewer depressive symptoms they had (r=0.09; p=.019). An effect of the level of education on depressive symptoms (F(5,847)= 7.06; p<.001) was found: people with a higher educational level had a lower depression score than those with a lower educational level. A lower level of neuroticism, higher level of agreeableness, and conscientiousness were significantly correlated with a lower level of depressive symptoms (r=0.41; p<.001; r=-.09; p<.028; r=-.08; p=.028). Linear regression analyses showed that personality variables explained 11% of the variance of depression scores, beyond sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex) (9%) and variables in the Rowe and Kahn model (10%). The three blocks, all together, explained 29% of the variance of the depression scores. In line with Rowe and Kahn’s model (1997), results showed that physical, cognitive, and social factors from the SHARE study partially explained SA (i.e., absence of depressive symptoms here). Interestingly, personality variables also explained a significant proportion of depressive symptoms. Personality may have an important role in addressing SA: adapting the care as well as the prevention to encourage the elderly to engage in physical, social, or cognitive activities."