title: Does social desirability influence psychological well-being: perceived physical health and religiosity of Italian elders? A developmental approach.
abstract: This study was mainly aimed at exploring the relationship between psychological well-being and lifestyle, religion, perceived physical health and social desirability of Italian elders.
  
  
  
  Four hundred and six cognitively healthy 65-99 years old participants were recruited from the Italian isle of Sardinia, where a high prevalence of centenarians is registered. Participants were presented with several tools assessing psychological well-being, lifestyle, social desirability, religiosity and subjective physical health.
  
  
  
  A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the social desirability measure is the best predictor of general subjective well-being, whereas further predictors are age, perceived physical health and gardening. A significant but moderate relationship was also found between psychological well-being, subjective physical health and religiosity, while controlling for social desirability.
  
  
  
  Social desirability seems to contaminate the self-rating of psychological well-being in late adulthood. Moreover, from a developmental perspective, age-related factors, life style and perceived physical health are strictly related to and therefore influence the perception of life quality in the third and fourth age.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pedagogy , Psychology, Philosophy , University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fastame
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Southampton Solent University , Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul Kenneth
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Hitchcott
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pedagogy , Psychology, Philosophy , University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Pietronilla
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Penna
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012928:Social Desirability; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: aging; physical health; psychological well-being; religion; social desirability