Knowledge about aging and worry in older adults: testing the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty.
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.
Nuevo
Roberto
R
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigacion en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Spain. roberto.nuevo@uam.es
Wetherell
Julie Loebach
JL
Montorio
Ignacio
I
Ruiz
Miguel A
MA
Cabrera
Isabel
I
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