TY  - JOUR
T1  - Frailty, Self-Directed Ageism, and Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Evidence from the Belgian Ageing Studies
A1  - Francesca Romano
A1  - Giulia B. Conti
A1  - Marco L. Bianchi
A1  - Paolo Ferrara
JF  - International Journal of Social and Psychological Aspects of Healthcare
JO  - Int J Soc Psychol Asp Healthc
SN  - 3108-4818
Y1  - 2022
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
DO  - 10.51847/zDH2H6rrTX
SP  - 124
EP  - 134
N2  - This study aimed to investigate the role of self-directed ageism in shaping the relationship between frailty and quality of life among community-dwelling older adults. A secondary analysis was conducted using data from the Belgian Ageing Studies. Between 2017 and 2019, a stratified sample of 1895 participants, based on age and gender according to census data, was selected. Frailty, quality of life, and self-directed ageism were measured using the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument, a numeric rating scale, and a newly developed self-directed ageism scale, respectively. The new scale’s validity was evaluated through exploratory factor analysis, and mediation analysis assessed whether self-directed ageism mediated the association between frailty and quality of life.

The self-directed ageism scale demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.898, Spearman-Brown = 0.906) and accounted for 58.86% of the variance in self-directed ageism. Participants had an average self-directed ageism score of 23.6/40, a mean frailty score of 26.94/100, and a median quality of life score of 8/10. Mediation analysis indicated that frailty was inversely related to quality of life and that this association was partially mediated by self-directed ageism. Most participants were mildly frail, experienced self-directed ageism, and those aged 80 or older reported a lower quality of life. The findings confirm that frailty negatively impacts quality of life, with self-directed ageism partially mediating this effect. Interventions targeting frailty, ageism, and self-directed ageism are essential to improve the quality of life for older adults living in the community.
UR  - https://smerpub.com/article/frailty-self-directed-ageism-and-quality-of-life-in-community-dwelling-older-adults-evidence-from-qno2ihg7i4fhu38
ER  -