Physical and mental health relationships in the very old.
A descriptive, correlational study was conducted to examine the physical and mental health status of 80-year-olds. Thirty-seven community-dwelling adults, aged 80 and over, were interviewed about their physical health, psychological well-being, and demographic characteristics. Both descriptive and correlational data indicated that overall these older adults were positive about both their physical health and psychological well-being. However, depression emerged as a significant problem for 24% of the sample and was strongly related to physical health problems. Results are discussed in relation to both health needs and stereotypic beliefs about the very old.
School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 53201.
S M
SM
Heidrich
D
D
D'Amico
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009017:Morbidity; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors