title: Psychosocial factors and health as determinants of quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is important to understand the determinants of differences in quality of life in old age and to include a wide range of possible predictors. The present study investigated the determinants of quality of life in two groups of older adults for whom there was an unusually informative set of possible predictor variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were members of the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 (n = 550) or 1936 (n = 1,091). Four facets of quality of life (QoL) and general QoL were measured using the WHOQOL-BREF. Possible determinants included personality traits, measured with the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) scales; childhood and old age general cognitive ability, measured with the Moray House Test; minor psychological symptoms, measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); physical health, assessed by grip strength and cardiovascular disease history; and sociodemographic factors, assessed by interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression analyses revealed that HADS depression had the greatest influence on quality of life. Personality traits, most notably Emotional Stability, also predicted quality of life to varying degrees, along with factors reflecting current life circumstances. There were differences between the two cohorts in the variables which predicted quality of life. There were different, conceptually relevant, contributions to the different QoL facets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality traits and minor depressive symptoms have an important influence on self-reported quality of life in old age. Quality of life may be influenced more by current than past circumstances, and this relationship may change with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Scotland, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Gow
authors.forename: Janie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Corley
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pattie
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires