title: Sense of coherence (SOC) related to health and mortality among the very old: the Umeå 85+ study.
abstract: We describe associations between sense of coherence (SOC) and sense of well-being, diseases, physical function and the predictive value of SOC on depression and mortality. The study included 190 participants, aged 85-103 years. Linear correlation analysis was used for relationships between SOC scores and continuous variables. The effects of SOC score on 1- and 4-year mortality, as well as on depression at the 5-year follow-up, were investigated using Cox regression models. The mean SOC score was 71.8±10.2 (±S.D.). SOC score was positively related to well-being (p≤0.001). Heart failure (p=0.009), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p=0.015), depression (p=0.015), and osteoarthritis (p=0.032) were significantly associated with low SOC scores, as were high scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) (p=0.002). One-year mortality was significantly associated with the SOC score (OR=0.945, confidence interval (CI)=0.898-0.995, p=0.032), while the 4-year mortality was not (OR=0.995, CI=0.973-1.018, p=0.674). The SOC score did not predict depression at 5-year follow-up (OR=0.977, CI=0.937-1.018, p=0.267). Strong SOC was associated with well-being in this group of old people. Low SOC was found among those with diseases known to have a negative influence on daily life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE 901 87 Umeå, Sweden. berit.lundman@nurs.umu.se
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundman
authors.forename: Karl Anton
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jonsén
authors.forename: Yngve
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gustafson
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olofsson
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strandberg
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lövheim
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology