title: Validation and utility of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire: Links to menopause and well-being trajectories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Qualitative studies show that women link menopause to the ageing process, and yet surprisingly little research has investigated how attitudes to ageing might shape women's experience of menopause, as well as their overall well-being at midlife. This study validated the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) for use among midlife women, and explored the AAQ's role in predicting menopausal factors and 10 year well-being trajectories in the midlife group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scale validation involved cross-sectional group comparisons of the AAQ factor structure between a sample of midlife women aged 40-60 (n=517) and sample of women aged over 60 (n=259). Longitudinal data on 10-year change in subjective well-being was analysed for a subsample of the midlife group (n=492).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hot flush interference ratings, menopausal beliefs, subjective well-being.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessment of measurement invariance showed support for configural and scalar invariance, with partial support for strict invariance. Midlife women exhibited more negative attitudes to ageing on the psychosocial loss subscale compared to older women. Attitude to psychosocial loss was the strongest predictor of women's experience of menopause, and women with a negative attitude to psychosocial loss did not experience gains in subjective well-being with age that were characteristic of those with a positive attitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings demonstrate the validity and utility of the AAQ for use among midlife women. Policies to enhance attitudes to ageing could be beneficial to protect well-being during the second half of life.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Redmond Barry Building, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia. Electronic address: lydiaab@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Redmond Barry Building, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Redmond Barry Building, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Grattan St & Flemington Rd., Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Redmond Barry Building, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Grattan St & Flemington Rd., Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Building 17, Clayton Campus, Wellington Road, University, VIC, 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bei
authors.affiliation: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Level 5, 207 Bouverie Street, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim-Michelle
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Gilson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Grattan St & Flemington Rd., Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Level 1 North, Main Block, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC, 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiti
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Mental Health, Royal Women's Hospital, Locked Bag 300, Grattan St & Flemington Rd., Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Level 1 North, Main Block, Royal Melbourne Hospital, VIC, 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Judd
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Attitudes to ageing; Menopause; Midlife; Subjective well-being; Well-being trajectories