title: Longitudinal change of self-perceptions of aging and mortality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand the association between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and mortality in late life. Method. The sample (n = 1,507) was drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (baseline age = 65-103 years). We used joint growth curve and survival models on 5 waves of data for a period of 16 years to investigate the random intercept and slope of SPA for predicting all-cause mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The unadjusted model revealed that poor SPA at baseline, as well as decline in SPA, increased the risk of mortality (SPA intercept hazard ratio [HR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 1.31; SPA slope HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.33). This relationship remained significant for the SPA intercept after adjusting for other risk factors including demographics, physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that a single measurement of SPA in late life may be very informative of future long-term vulnerability to health decline and mortality. Furthermore, a dynamic measure of SPA may be indicative of adaptation to age-related changes. This supports a "self-fulfilling" hypothesis, whereby SPA is a lens through which age-related changes are interpreted, and these interpretations can affect future health and health behaviors.
authors: Correspondence should be addressed to Kerry Sargent-Cox, Centre for Research in Aging, Health & Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. E-mail: Kerry.Sargent-Cox@anu.edu.au.
authors: Kerry A
authors: KA
authors: Sargent-Cox
authors: Kaarin J
authors: KJ
authors: Anstey
authors: Mary A
authors: MA
authors: Luszcz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009026:Mortality; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Joint random effects; Mortality; Self-perceptions of aging; Time-to-event modeling.