title: Purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of incident disability among community-dwelling older persons.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Purpose in life is thought to be associated with positive health outcomes in old age, but its association with disability is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Test the hypothesis that greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of incident disability, including impairment in basic and instrumental activities of daily living and mobility disability, among community-based older persons free of dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a large longitudinal clinical-pathologic study of aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retirement communities, senior housing facilities, and homes across the greater Chicago metropolitan area.
  
  
  METHODS
  All participants underwent baseline assessment of purpose in life and detailed annual clinical evaluations to document incident disability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score on the purpose in life measure at baseline was 3.6 (standard deviation = 0.5, range: 2-5). In a series of proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, and education, greater purpose in life was associated with a reduced risk of disability in basic activities of daily living (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [C1] = 0.45-0.81), instrumental activities of daily living (HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.40-0.78), and mobility disability (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.44-0.84). These associations did not vary along demographic lines and persisted after the addition of terms to control for global cognition, depressive symptoms, social networks, neuroticism, income, physical frailty, vascular risk factors, and vascular diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among community-based older persons without dementia, greater purpose in life is associated with maintenance of functional status, including a reduced risk of developing impairment in basic and instrumental activities of daily living and mobility disability.
authors.affiliation: From the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA. patricia_boyle@rush.edu
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Aron S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Buchman
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors
references.citation: J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189-98
references.pmid: 1202204
references.citation: J Holist Nurs. 2002 Sep;20(3):232-49
references.pmid: 12240955
references.citation: J Gerontol. 1966 Oct;21(4):556-9
references.pmid: 5918309
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2004 Sep 29;359(1449):1383-94
references.pmid: 15347530
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2003 Jul;22(4):398-405
references.pmid: 12940396
references.citation: Lancet Neurol. 2006 May;5(5):406-12
references.pmid: 16632311
references.citation: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1997 Jul;52(4):M201-8
references.pmid: 9224431
references.citation: Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2003 Dec;29(12):1494-508
references.pmid: 15018681
references.citation: J Urban Health. 2004 Mar;81(1):106-17
references.pmid: 15047789
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2007 Jun;69(5):483-9
references.pmid: 17556640
references.citation: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2004 Sep;59(5):S287-97
references.pmid: 15358804
references.citation: Int J Health Serv. 1976;6(3):493-508
references.pmid: 133997
references.citation: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Jun;56(6):1037-44
references.pmid: 18384579
references.citation: Psychosom Med. 2009 Jun;71(5):574-9
references.pmid: 19414613
references.citation: J Aging Health. 1993 May;5(2):179-93
references.pmid: 10125443
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991 May;60(5):744-55
references.pmid: 2072254
references.citation: Psychother Psychosom. 2006;75(2):85-95
references.pmid: 16508343
references.citation: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2001 May;56(3):S179-90
references.pmid: 11316843
references.citation: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;17(2):144-54
references.pmid: 19172682
references.citation: Gerontologist. 1969 Autumn;9(3):179-86
references.pmid: 5349366
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1995 Oct;69(4):719-27
references.pmid: 7473027
references.citation: Exp Aging Res. 2006 Jul-Sep;32(3):243-61
references.pmid: 16754467
references.citation: Exp Aging Res. 2007 Jan-Mar;33(1):77-93
references.pmid: 17132565
references.citation: Health Psychol. 2007 May;26(3):305-13
references.pmid: 17500617
references.citation: J Psychosom Res. 2008 Apr;64(4):409-15
references.pmid: 18374740
references.citation: Psychother Psychosom. 1999;68(4):171-9
references.pmid: 10396007
references.citation: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2009 Jun;64(4):517-27
references.pmid: 19515991
references.citation: Age Ageing. 2006 Jul;35(4):428-33
references.pmid: 16788082
references.citation: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007 Feb;55(2):195-201
references.pmid: 17302655
references.citation: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007 Mar;15(3):194-201
references.pmid: 17322132
references.citation: Neuroepidemiology. 2005;25(4):163-75
references.pmid: 16103727
references.citation: Br J Psychol. 1992 Feb;83 ( Pt 1):133-45
references.pmid: 1559144
references.citation: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1999 Jan;54(1):P23-9
references.pmid: 9934392
references.citation: Neurology. 2006 Aug 8;67(3):441-5
references.pmid: 16894105
references.citation: Neurology. 1984 Jul;34(7):939-44
references.pmid: 6610841