Women’s Healthy Aging

Abstract

The life expectancy of women currently exceeds that of men by almost seven years, yet women spend approximately twice as many years disabled prior to death as their male counterparts. The diseases that account for death and health care utilization in older women (heart disease, cancer, stroke, fracture, pneumonia, osteoarthritis, cataracts) are also major contributors to disability. This paper reviews the scientific evidence that supports specific recommendations for older women that may prevent or delay these conditions for as long as possible. Risk factors for falls and fractures should be assessed and, where possible, modified. Adequate intakes of calcium, vitamin D, fruits, and vegetables should be encouraged. Weight should be monitored and weight loss discouraged for most women.

Introduction

Optimism-the expectation that good things will happen-has emerged as a promising health asset, as it appears to be related to healthier behaviors and reduced disease risk. Growing research finds that higher optimism is associated with lower mortality, yet it is critical to understand whether this prolonged longevity is accompanied by good health. This study tested whether higher optimism was associated with increased likelihood of healthy aging.

Totally, 121 generally healthy women aged 40 to 75 were investigated cross-sectionally. Healthy aging was operationalized via self-rated health (SRH). To gain a nuanced view of the particularities at the upper end of the illness-wellness continuum, women with excellent SRH and those with good SRH were analyzed as distinct groups. Socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables, health behavior, resilience, optimism, and self-worth as well as menopausal symptoms, and levels of steroid hormones and gonadotropins were considered as predictors of SRH. Binary logistic regression analyses using the forward conditional method were performed with the two health status groups as dependent variable.

Methods

Prospective data analyzed in 2018 from the Nurses’ Health Study included 33,326 women with no major chronic diseases at baseline. Poisson regression models evaluated if optimism was associated with healthy aging 8 years later, considering potential confounders (sociodemographic variables, depression) and intermediate variables (health behaviors). Optimism was assessed in 2004 by validated self-report using mailed questionnaires and healthy aging was assessed in 2012, defined as: (1) remaining free of major chronic diseases, (2) having no subjective memory impairment, (3) having intact physical function, and (4) surviving through follow-up.

Measures

Recognizing that varying cut points can be used in each domain to determine healthy versus usual aging, several alternate cut points were previously tested; associations between known risk factors and healthy aging were maintained across variations in cut points, indicating that results are robust to various healthy aging definitions. Though healthy aging definitions can include mental health, analyses did not consider this domain because it is linked to optimism itself. Below is the definition of “healthy” for each domain.

Conclusion

Optimism appears strongly associated with greater likelihood of healthy aging. As the population ages, a range of interventions will be necessary to improve health. These overall findings, including those revealing similar relations in white and black women, suggest that optimism may be a promising target for intervention among diverse populations.

Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal that explores clinical, medical, social and economic aspects of female reproductive health and medication worldwide.

Authors can Submit manuscript as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at https://www.imedpub.com/submissions/womens-health-reproductive-medicine.html

Media Contact
John Kimberly
Associate Managing Editor
Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine
Email: womenshealth@emedscholar.com