 |
|
Having a Higher Purpose in Life Reduces Risk of Death Among Older Adults
June 16, 2009CHICAGO-Possessing a greater purpose in life is associated with lower mortality rates among older adults according to a new study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study, published in Psychosomatic Medicine, is available online at www.psychosomaticmedicine.org.
Patricia A. Boyle, PhD, and her colleagues from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, studied 1,238 community-dwelling elderly participants from two ongoing research studies, the Rush Memory and Aging Project and the Minority Aging Research Study. None had dementia. Data from baseline evaluations of purpose in life and up to five years of follow-up were used to test the hypothesis that greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of mortality among community-dwelling older persons.
Purpose in life reflects the tendency to derive meaning from life's experiences and be focused and intentional, according to Boyle.
After adjusting for age, sex, education and race, a higher purpose of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality. Thus, a person with high purpose in life was about half as likely to die over the follow-up period compared to a person with low purpose. The association of purpose in life with mortality did not differ among men and women or whites and blacks, and the finding persisted even after controlling for depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, the number of medical conditions and income. During the study period, 151 participants died.
"The finding that purpose in life is related to longevity in older persons suggests that aspects of human flourishing-particularly the tendency to derive meaning from life's experiences and possess a sense of intentionality and goal-directedness-contribute to successful aging," said Boyle.
Significant associations with mortality were found with three specific items on the purpose of life questionnaire to determine the study participants' agreement with the following statements: "I sometimes feel as if I've done all there is to do in life;" "I used to set goals for myself, but that now seems like a waste of time;" and "My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me."
"We are excited about these findings because they suggest that positive factors such as having a sense of purpose in life are important contributors to health," said Boyle.
The researchers note that knowledge of the relationship of purpose of life with other demographic characteristics is limited and future studies are needed to examine whether the association of purpose of life with mortality might be modified by other variables not measured in this study, such as how religious a participant may be. In addition, researchers suggest that future studies should examine whether purpose in life can be enhanced in older persons with interventions.
"Although we think that having a sense of purpose in life is important across the lifespan, measurement of purpose in life in older persons in particular may reveal an enduring sense of meaningfulness and intentionality in life that somehow provides a buffer against negative health outcomes," said Boyle.
The Rush Memory and Aging Project, which began in 1997, is a longitudinal clinical-pathological study of common chronic conditions of aging. Participants are older persons recruited from about 40 continuous care retirement communities and senior subsidized housing facilities in and around the Chicago Metropolitan area. More than 1,200 older persons are enrolled in the study.
The Minority Aging Research Study began in 2004 and is a study of risk factors for cognitive decline in older Blacks. Participants are recruited from community-based organizations, churches, and senior subsidized housing facilities in and around the Chicago Metropolitan Area. More than 350 older persons are enrolled in the study.
Rush University Medical Center
After adjusting for age, sex, education and race, a higher purpose of life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality. Thus, a person with high purpose in life was about half as likely to die over the follow-up period compared to a person with low purpose. The association of purpose in life with mortality did not differ among men and women or whites and blacks, and the finding persisted even after controlling for depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, the number of medical conditions and income. During the study period, 151 participants died.
"The finding that purpose in life is related to longevity in older persons suggests that aspects of human flourishing-particularly the tendency to derive meaning from life's experiences and possess a sense of intentionality and goal-directedness-contribute to successful aging," said Boyle.
Significant associations with mortality were found with three specific items on the purpose of life questionnaire to determine the study participants' agreement with the following statements: "I sometimes feel as if I've done all there is to do in life;" "I used to set goals for myself, but that now seems like a waste of time;" and "My daily activities often seem trivial and unimportant to me."
"We are excited about these findings because they suggest that positive factors such as having a sense of purpose in life are important contributors to health," said Boyle.
The researchers note that knowledge of the relationship of purpose of life with other demographic characteristics is limited and future studies are needed to examine whether the association of purpose of life with mortality might be modified by other variables not measured in this study, such as how religious a participant may be. In addition, researchers suggest that future studies should examine whether purpose in life can be enhanced in older persons with interventions.
"Although we think that having a sense of purpose in life is important across the lifespan, measurement of purpose in life in older persons in particular may reveal an enduring sense of meaningfulness and intentionality in life that somehow provides a buffer against negative health outcomes," said Boyle.
The Rush Memory and Aging Project, which began in 1997, is a longitudinal clinical-pathological study of common chronic conditions of aging. Participants are older persons recruited from about 40 continuous care retirement communities and senior subsidized housing facilities in and around the Chicago Metropolitan area. More than 1,200 older persons are enrolled in the study.
The Minority Aging Research Study began in 2004 and is a study of risk factors for cognitive decline in older Blacks. Participants are recruited from community-based organizations, churches, and senior subsidized housing facilities in and around the Chicago Metropolitan Area. More than 350 older persons are enrolled in the study.
Rush University Medical Center
Mortality Rate Current Events and Mortality Rate News RSSFor dialysis patients, skinny is dangerous
Dialysis patients with low body fat are at increased risk of death-even compared to patients at the highest level of body fat percentage, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego.
Henry Ford Hospital study: A MRSA strain linked to high death rates
A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
Learning the risks for stroke - and taking action
With this theme in mind, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) emphasises that most of the risks for stroke are also the major risks for coronary heart disease - and thus the object of the ESC's far-reaching prevention programme.
The first men and women from the Canary Islands were Berbers
A team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers has carried out molecular genetic analysis of the Y chromosome (transmitted only by males) of the aboriginal population of the Canary Islands to determine their origin and the extent to which they have survived in the current population.
A case of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis
Gastrectomy is commonly performed for both benign and malignant lesions. Although the incidence of post-gastrectomy acute pancreatitis (PGAP) is low compared to other well-recognized post-operative complications, it has been reported to be associated with a high mortality rate.
H1N1 critical illness can occur rapidly; predominantly affects young patients
Critical illness among Canadian patients with 2009 influenza A(H1N1) occurred rapidly after hospital admission, often in young adults, and was associated with severely low levels of oxygen in the blood, multi-system organ failure, a need for prolonged mechanical ventilation, and frequent use of rescue therapies.
Unequal access: Hispanic children rarely get top-notch care for brain tumors
Hispanic children diagnosed with brain tumors get high-quality treatment at hospitals that specialize in neurosurgery far less often than other children with the same condition, potentially compromising their immediate prognosis and long-term survival, according to research from Johns Hopkins published in October's Pediatrics.
High mortality rates may explain small body size
A new study suggests that high mortality rates in small-bodied people, commonly known as pygmies, may be part of the reason for their small stature.
Peer pressure builds more latrines than financial assistance
Government subsidies persuade some people to change habits, but social shame works even better, suggests a recent study of efforts to reduce elevated childhood death and disease rates blamed on the microbial pathogens that cause diarrhea in rural India.
New research shows small increase in hospital mortality rates in the first week of August
People admitted to English hospitals in an emergency on the first Wednesday in August have, on average, a six percent higher mortality rate than people admitted on the previous Wednesday, according to research published in PLoS ONE today.
More Mortality Rate Current Events and Mortality Rate News Articles
 |
Mortality Rate by Jack Chase (Author) A young medical student notices that an exceptionally high number of terminally ill patients are dying of strikingly similar causes at the university hospital. When he launches his own investigation, he quickly finds his own credibility under fire--and his list of suspects growing. With a web of violence closing in around him, he must race to uncover the truth before his own life ends prematurely. |
 |
Miracles of the Battlefront: Navy Surgeons Set New Records In Saving Wounded. An amazing example of the fine medical care given to our sailors and marines is shown by this story. During a long period beginning with the Solomon Islands offensive, a certain U.S. Navy hospital ship cared for 4,039 patients - men who were wounded at Guadalcanal, or in naval battles, or in aerial combat. Among these 4,039 cases, only seven deaths occurred - a mortality rate of 0.18 per cent. ..... 1943 E. R. Squibb & Sons Ad, A5086. This Item is an original Magazine ad, taken from a vintage magazine of the year indicated. The ad is suitable for framing and displaying in your home or office. The scan of this item was taken through plastic film, however it is an accurate representation of the item. The nominal size is 10.5 inches by 14 inches. |
|
U.S. infant mortality rate increased in 2002.(Obstetrics): An article from: OB GYN News by Michele G. Sullivan (Author) This digital document is an article from OB GYN News, published by International Medical News Group on February 15, 2005. The length of the article is 481 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: U.S. infant mortality rate increased in 2002.(Obstetrics) Author: Michele G. Sullivan Publication: OB GYN News (Magazine/Journal) Date: February 15, 2005 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 40 Issue: 4 Page: 9(1) Distributed by Thomson... | |
|
Adolescent birth rates and mortality stats drop.(News): An article from: Family Practice News by Jennifer Silverman (Author) This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by Thomson Gale on August 15, 2005. The length of the article is 556 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Adolescent birth rates and mortality stats drop.(News) Author: Jennifer Silverman Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal) Date: August 15, 2005 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 35 Issue: 16 Page: 5(1) Distributed by Thomson... | |
![Access to primary health care and health outcomes: The relationships between GP characteristics and mortality rates [An article from: Journal of Health Economics]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QFPM7B0KL._SL160_.jpg) |
Access to primary health care and health outcomes: The relationships between GP characteristics and mortality rates [An article from: Journal of Health Economics] by A. Aakvik (Author), T.H. Holmas (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Health Economics, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: This paper analyses the impact of economic conditions and access to primary health care on health outcomes in Norway. Total mortality rates, grouped into four causes of death, were used as proxies for health, and the number of general practitioners (GPs) at the municipality level was used as the proxy for access to primary health care. Dynamic panel data models that allow for time persistence in mortality rates, incorporate municipal fixed effects, and treat both the number and types of GPs in a district... |
 |
On The Rate Of Mortality At Early Periods Of Life, The Age At Marriage, The Number Of Children To A Marriage, The Length Of A Generation (1874) by Charles Ansell Jr. (Author) And Other Statistics Of Families In The Upper And Professional Classes. |
![The health of nations in a global context: Trade, global stratification, and infant mortality rates [An article from: Social Science & Medicine]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519EPRSDSHL._SL160_.jpg) |
The health of nations in a global context: Trade, global stratification, and infant mortality rates [An article from: Social Science & Medicine] by S. Moore (Author), A.C. Teixeira (Author), A. Shiell (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Social Science & Medicine, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: Despite the call for a better understanding of macro-level factors that affect population health, social epidemiological research has tended to focus almost exclusively on national-level factors, such as Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP/c) or levels of social cohesion. Using a world-systems framework to examine cross-national variations in infant mortality, this paper seeks to emphasize the effects of global trade on national-level population health. Rather than viewing national-level health indicators... |
![Effects of oil sands tailings compounds and harsh weather on mortality rates, growth and detoxification efforts in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta ... [An article from: Environmental Pollution]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FYG4STACL._SL160_.jpg) |
Effects of oil sands tailings compounds and harsh weather on mortality rates, growth and detoxification efforts in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta ... [An article from: Environmental Pollution] by M.L. Gentes (Author), C. Waldner (Author), Z. Papp (Author), J.E.G. Smits (Author) This digital document is a journal article from Environmental Pollution, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Description: Oil sands mining companies in Alberta, Canada, are evaluating the feasibility of using wetlands to detoxify oil sands process material (OSPM) as a reclamation strategy. Reproductive success, nestling growth, survival and ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) activity were measured in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on experimental wetlands. In 2003, harsh weather triggered a widespread nestling die-off. Mortality rates on the control site reached 48% while they ranged from 59% to 100% on reclaimed wetlands.... |
|
Six-hour, rapid-intervention protocol for sepsis cuts mortality rate in half.(Infectious Diseases): An article from: Internal Medicine News by Jane Salodof MacNeil (Author) This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on April 15, 2005. The length of the article is 755 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Six-hour, rapid-intervention protocol for sepsis cuts mortality rate in half.(Infectious Diseases) Author: Jane Salodof MacNeil Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal) Date: April 15, 2005 Publisher: International Medical News Group Volume: 38 Issue: 8 Page: 59(1) Distributed by Thomson... | |
|
Exploring scale-dependent correlations between cancer mortality rates using factorial kriging and population-weighted semivariograms.: An article from: Geographical Analysis by Pierre Goovaerts (Author), Geoffrey M. Jacquez (Author), Dunrie Greiling (Author) This digital document is an article from Geographical Analysis, published by Ohio State University Press on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 10627 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Exploring scale-dependent correlations between cancer mortality rates using factorial kriging and population-weighted semivariograms. Author: Pierre Goovaerts Publication: Geographical Analysis (Refereed) Date: April 1, 2005 Publisher: Ohio State University Press Volume: 37 Issue: 2 Page: 152(31) Distributed by Thomson... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |