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Originalia

Exploring the Causal Interplay of Subjective Age and Health Dimensions in the Second Half of Life

A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1026/0943-8149/a000084

Numerous studies have emphasized a stable relationship between subjective age and health. However, few longitudinal studies exist and these have normally tested only one causal pathway. The present study investigated the direction of effects between subjective age and different health dimensions in 3,038 participants of the German Ageing Survey, aged 40 years and older. Cross-sectionally, subjective age correlated with all health dimensions studied. Longitudinally, subjective age predicted physical, mental, and self-rated health, whereas the reverse effect was found only for self-rated health. Subjective age thus seems to be an important resource for preserving health in the second half of life.


Kausale Beziehungen zwischen subjektivem Alter und verschiedenen Gesundheitsdimensionen in der zweiten Lebenshälfte. Ein kreuzverzögertes Design

Zahlreiche Studien unterstreichen eine stabile Verbindung zwischen subjektivem Alter und Gesundheit. Jedoch existieren nur wenige Längsschnittanalysen, die zudem meist nur eine Wirkungsrichtung berücksichtigen. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht daher die längsschnittliche Wirkungsrichtung zwischen subjektivem Alter und verschiedenen Gesundheitsdimensionen. Daten von 3.038 Teilnehmenden des Deutschen Alterssurveys im Alter zwischen 40 und 85 Jahren wurden analysiert. Im Querschnitt bestätigte sich der Zusammenhang zwischen subjektivem Alter und allen untersuchten Gesundheitsdimensionen. Längsschnittlich prädizierte subjektives Alter körperliche, mentale und subjektive Gesundheit. Die umgekehrte Wirkrichtung wurde hingegen nur für subjektive Gesundheit gefunden. Das subjektive Alter ist somit eine wichtige Ressource zur Aufrechterhaltung der Gesundheit in der zweiten Lebenshälfte.

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