Mindfulness, mortality, disability rates, physical and mental health among the oldest old.

Abstract

Due to the population aging, there is an urgent need to focus on how to help the oldest old (people age 80 years or older) to reach successful aging and improve their life quality. In this study, a longitudinal design spanning 1 year was used to explore the relationship between trait mindfulness and the physical and mental health of the oldest old and the mediating role of attitude toward one's own aging (ATOA). A total of 437 older adults from Jiangsu, China, participated in this study and completed questionnaires about trait mindfulness and ATOA at baseline, and their death, disability, negative affect (NA), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were collected after 1 year. The results indicated that trait mindfulness in the oldest old was negatively associated with their mortality, disability rate, and NA and positively associated with individual HRQoL. The results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that ATOA mediated the association of trait mindfulness with mortality, disability rate, anxiety, and three HRQoL subdimensions: role limitations because of emotional problems, vitality, and mental health. This study confirmed the positive longitudinal relationships between trait mindfulness and ATOA on physical health (especially mortality and disability rates), mental health, and emotional aspects of HRQoL in the oldest old population. The findings highlight the potential significance of promoting trait mindfulness and ATOA as interventions to enhance successful aging among the oldest old, which is of particular relevance in the context of the global trend of population aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).