title: Knowledge about aging and worry in older adults: testing the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to explore the relationship between knowledge about aging and severity of worry in older adults, and to test the potential mediational role of intolerance of uncertainty.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was composed of 120 community-dwelling older adults, with a mean of age of 71.0 years (SD = 6.3). Mediational analyses and structural equation modeling were used to analyze and compare different models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Greater knowledge about aging was negatively related to both intolerance of uncertainty and worry, and its effect on worry was partially mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. The mediational model obtained an excellent fit to the data (i.e. Goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.995) and clearly had a better fit than alternative models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that a good knowledge of the aging process could help decrease aversive uncertainty and thus reduce the level of worry among older adults. Thus, educational programs to increase knowledge about aging could serve as one preventive strategy for anxiety in old age.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigacion en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain. roberto.nuevo@uam.es
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nuevo
authors.forename: Julie Loebach
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wetherell
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Montorio
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cabrera
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013030:Spain; D013240:Stereotyping; D035501:Uncertainty