title: Successful aging defined by health-related quality of life and its determinants in community-dwelling elders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Successful aging in old age is important. However, the determinants of successful aging vary across populations due to cultural differences, and only a limited number of studies have addressed these determinants in Taiwan population. This study aimed to evaluate successful aging via better physical and mental functions as well as to explore associated determinants in an elderly Taiwan population that had no impaired cognitive function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in January 2009 in Taichung, Taiwan. A total of 903 elderly persons (≥65 years) without impaired cognitive function were enrolled. Those with physical and mental component scores in the top tertile of the Short-Form 36 were considered to be aging successfully. All participants completed a structured questionnaire and the comprehensive geriatric assessment measurements of the five components of frailty defined by Fried et al. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the relationship between associated factors and successful aging using logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of successful aging was 10.4% in elders. A higher proportion of successful aging was found in non-frail (16.9%) and pre-frail elders (7.2%) than in frail elders (0.9%). Multivariate logistic regression showed pre-frail elders to be associated with lower prevalence of successful aging relative to non-frail elders (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24-0.84). Relative to those aged ≤70 years, elders aged 71-75 years were associated with a lower prevalence of successful aging (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.13-0.58). Successful aging was also more likely among those able to visit relatives and friends (OR: 3.86, 95% CI: 1.09-13.61) and among those without a history of falling (OR: 4.95; 95% CI: 1.79-13.74), pain (OR: 4.04; 95% CI: 2.18-7.50), or sleep disorders (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.30-4.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful aging was associated with age, frail status, chronic health-related problems and psychosocial support. However, whether or not these associations are causal requires further exploration.
authors.forename: Chia-Ing
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chih-Hsueh
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Yuan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chiu-Shong
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chin-Kai
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Nai-Hsin
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yi-Dar
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. tcli@mail.cmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Tsai-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cheng-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan