Subjective Age and Cognitive Functioning in Old Age

OBJECTIVE: The present study has examined whether subjective age would be associated with cognitive functioning in older adults. METHODS: Data from the third wave of Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project were used. This study was conducted with 152 older adults aged 60–89 years (mean=72.26, standard deviation=6.41) who completed measures of subjective age, Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening, Elderly Verbal Learning Test, Digit Span Test, Korean-Color Word Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Korean Boston Naming Test-Short form. The association of subjective age and cognitive functioning was analyzed using hierarchical regression analysis. Sex, depression, and chronological age were included as control variables. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that a younger subjective age was associated with better processing speed, immediate memory, and executive function respectively. Even after controlling for chronological age, depression, and sex, the subjective age was associated with cognitive functioning in old age. CONCLUSION: Beyond chronological age, the subjective experience of age was associated with cognitive aging.

Idade subjetiva e suas relações com o envelhecimento bem-sucedido / Subjective age and its relationship with the successful aging / Edad subjetiva y sus relaciones con el envejecimiento exitoso

O artigo traz uma revisão teórica a respeito do conceito “idade subjetiva” a partir de evidências da literatura internacional sobre suas relações com indicadores de envelhecimento bem-sucedido. A partir de estudos derivados da perspectiva life span e life course em Psicologia e Sociologia, os estudos sobre idade subjetiva revelam associações significativas desta com medidas de bem-estar físico e subjetivo, o que pode ser considerado uma variável importante na pesquisa e um potencial indicador clínico.

The article presents a theoretical review on the concept "subjective age" and evidences from the international literature on its relationship with indicators of successful aging. From the studies derived from the life span and life course perspectives in psychology and sociology, subjective age showed significant associations with measures of physical well-being and subjective, which can be considered an important variable in clinical research and a potential clinical indicator.

>El artículo presenta una revisión teórica sobre el concepto "edad subjetiva" y pruebas de la literatura internacional sobre las relaciones con los indicadores del envejecimiento exitoso. De los estudios derivados de la perspectiva life span y life course en psicología y sociología, edad subjetiva mostró asociaciones significativas con las medidas de bienestar físico y subjetivo y puede considerarse una variable importante en la investigación clínica y como un potencial indicador clínico.