title: The role of self-transcendence: a missing variable in the pursuit of successful aging?
abstract: While successful aging is often defined as the absence of disease and disability or as life satisfaction, self-transcendence may also play an important role. The objective of this research was to test a nursing theory of successful aging proposing that transcendence and adaptation predict successful aging. In this cross-sectional exploratory study, a convenience sample of older adults (N = 152) were surveyed about self-transcendence, proactive coping, and successful aging. Using hierarchical multiple regression, self-transcendence, proactive coping, and all control variables (i.e., sex, race, perceived health, place of residence) together explained 50% of the variance in successful aging (p < 0.001). However, proactive coping alone was not a significant predictor of successful aging. Thus, this study did not support the theory that both self-transcendence and proactive coping predict successful aging. Self-transcendence was the only significant contributor to this multidimensional view of successful aging. Self-transcendence is an important variable in the pursuit of successful aging, which merits further investigation.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville School of Nursing, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. vemcca01@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Valerie Lander
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Jiying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Carini
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009742:Nursing Theory; D029181:Spirituality