Self-reported Spirituality Research Articles

Relationship between Self-Reported Peace of Mind and Self-Reported Spirituality during the Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis

Peace of mind is a feeling of calm or not being worried. Bhatnagar (2019) wrote that “Peace of mind is free of costs, but only for positive people; whereas it's most expensive things for the negative people.” The conditions aroused due to the covid-19 pandemic affecting mental peace. Therefore the researcher decided to know the Relationship between Self-reported peace of mind and self-reported spirituality during the covid-19 pandemic crisis. Rigorous review of related literature revealed that there is no study with reference to the association between peace of mind and spirituality during covid-19 pandemic crisis. The presented study was related to explain the present condition i.e. "What is" therefore the survey method under descriptive research method was used for the presented research study. A survey form, constructed by the researcher on Google form, was used to collect data. The survey form consisted of the items related to the demographic data and a statement related to self-reported peace of mind and self-reported spirituality. There were two options of the items regarding the self-reported peace of mind and self-reported spirituality Agree and Disagree. The language medium of the survey form was Hindi. The data was collected between 25th of April 2020 to 20th of June 2020. The Google survey form link was distributed to various WhatsApp groups and individuals with a request to complete the survey and distribute it to others. In this way a total of 120 respondents from Lucknow district (India) fully completed the survey form. After collection, the data was organized and statistically treated with the help of frequencies, percentage, χ2 (chi-square) test to study the self-reported peace of mind with respect to age, the level of education, employment status, residential status and φ (phi) coefficient measure of the association between two dichotomous variables i.e. self-reported peace of mind and self-reported spirituality. The study showed that Self-reported peace of mind of the individuals during crisis of the covid-19 pandemic was not differing with respect to age, the level of education, employment status, and residential status and, it was strongly associated with the self-reported spirituality.

0434 The Relationship between Spirituality and Insomnia in Military Soldiers

Abstract Introduction Insomnia is prevalent among military soldiers and contributes to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Spirituality has been found to mitigate mental and physical health complaints; however, there is a dearth of research on its relationship with insomnia, particularly among military soldiers. Therefore, this study examined the associations between spirituality, religiosity, and insomnia in a sample of Army soldiers. Methods Data were acquired from the All Army Study of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (STARRS; N=21,449; mean age= 28.6; 88.24% male). Participants completed the Brief Insomnia Questionnaire, and current insomnia status was determined by DSM-5 criteria. They also completed questions on religious affiliation, how often they attend religious services, and how religious or spiritual they consider themselves on a 4-point scale (1-Very to 4-Not at all). Chi-Square analyses were used to assess the magnitude of relationships. Results A total of 19.45% of this sample had insomnia. Self-reported religious affiliation was more common in those without insomnia (73.5%) than those with insomnia (69.9%; p<.0001). Self-reported spirituality and religiosity were associated with lower rates of insomnia (p<.0001; p<.0001). However, insomnia was associated with higher rates of regular attendance of religious services (29.8% vs. 26.0%; p<.0001). Conclusion In this sample of Army servicemembers, insomnia was less prevalent among those with a religious affiliation and those with regular attendance at religious services. In contrast, individuals with insomnia reported themselves to be less religious or spiritual compared to those without insomnia. These findings underline the importance of further research to understand whether spirituality provides any protective effects against insomnia. Support (If Any) This publication is based on public use data from Army STARRS (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, University of Michigan-http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35197-v1), funded by U.S. NIMH-U01MH087981. KEM’s time was supported by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (Clinical Science Research and Development Service – IK2 CX001874). EAK’s time was supported by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, Rehabilitation Research and Development Service – 1IK2 RX001836.

Exploring the relationship between loneliness, spirituality, and health-related quality of life in Hispanic cancer caregivers

Caregivers of cancer patients find it challenging to perform their roles and to meet the demands of caregiving. Spirituality has been investigated as a potential coping strategy employed by caregivers, yet spirituality and related practices vary among cultural groups. In this study, we investigated the relationship between spirituality and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and evaluated mediation effects of loneliness on this relationship. The sample was 234 lower socioeconomic status (SES) Hispanic caregivers of breast cancer survivors using existing data from the Support for Latinas with Breast Cancer and Their Intimate and Family Partners study, funded by the American Cancer Society (Badger, PI). A cross-sectional analysis was conducted at baseline, using self-reported spirituality, loneliness, and HRQOL data collected from 2012 to 2017. The exposures and outcomes were assessed using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Social Isolation—Short Form 8a PROMIS Item Bank v2.0 scale, and the Global Health Scale PROMIS v.1.0/1.1 scale. Descriptive and mediation analyses using the Preacher and Hayes’ approach were conducted to estimate the direct effect of spirituality on HRQOL and the indirect effect of spirituality through mediation of loneliness in relation to HRQOL. A positive association between spirituality and HRQOL was found, whereas loneliness was inversely associated with HRQOL (b = − .18, SE = .03, p < .0001). Age did not function as a moderator of the spirituality-HRQOL association in any of the models tested, but in the model testing mediation, loneliness was shown to mediate the association between spirituality and HRQOL (b = − .17, p < .0001). These results suggest that spirituality may be beneficial to HRQOL in caregivers of Hispanic breast cancer survivors, due in part to reduced loneliness among more spiritual caregivers.

Classic Psychedelic Use and Mechanisms of Mental Health: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Spirituality and Emotion Processing on Symptoms of Anxiety, Depressed Mood, and Disordered Eating in a Community Sample

A resurgence of research has begun to systematically examine the relationship between psychedelic use and mental health and well-being. Although preliminary findings examining the therapeutic value of these substances show promise, the mechanisms through which psychedelic use may predict reduced mental distress remain poorly understood. To this end, we surveyed a community sample of individuals ( n = 159) who endorsed lifetime psychedelic use to examine relationships among psychedelic use and self-reported spirituality, difficulties in emotion regulation, and symptoms of mental health issues. Results revealed a pathway through which classic psychedelic use predicted greater spirituality, which in turn predicted better emotion regulation, ultimately predicting lower levels of anxiety, depressed mood, and disordered eating. These results contribute to our understanding of potential mechanisms of change with respect to psychedelics and mental health. They also add to the growing body of literature pointing to the healing effects of the cultivation of spirituality and emotion regulation as separate and related constructs.

Spiritual needs among Koreans and Americans with advanced chronic illnesses: A cultural comparison.

This study aimed to measure the frequency of spiritual needs, identify the factors associated with these needs among Korean and American persons living with an advance chronic illness and compare them from a cross-cultural perspective. Persons with serious or life-limiting illnesses often have spiritual needs. Unmet spiritual needs are associated with poor well-being and threaten psychological health. Little is known about how specific spiritual needs vary across cultures. A quantitative, cross-sectional, observational cross-cultural comparison was undertaken. The study has been prepared in accordance with the STROBE guidelines. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from outpatient clinics in South Korea and Southern California (N=202). Spiritual needs were measured using the Spiritual Interests Related to Illness Tool (SpIRIT); demographic and illness-related variables were also assessed using paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Data were analysed using various parametric statistical tests, including multiple regression analysis. The findings quantify the intensity and types of spiritual needs that persons living with an advanced chronic illness experience. Furthermore, they show how the spiritual needs of religiously diverse samples of South Koreans and Americans differ. The findings also indicate that self-reported spirituality and religiosity independently explain a substantial amount of the variance in spiritual needs. In both the samples, spiritual needs were reported and associated with spirituality and religiosity. Although all the eight domains of spiritual needs assessed by the SpIRIT were pertinent to the Korean and American samples, they were prioritised differently. Screening patients to ascertain how important spirituality or religiosity is to them may help clinicians focus their in-depth assessments on those who report high levels of spirituality or religiosity because these patients may experience the strongest spiritual needs. The SpIRIT shows promise as a measure of diverse spiritual needs.

A Neural Circuit for Spirituality and Religiosity Derived From Patients With Brain Lesions

BackgroundOver 80% of the global population consider themselves religious, with even more identifying as spiritual, but the neural substrates of spirituality and religiosity remain unresolved. MethodsIn two independent brain lesion datasets (N1 = 88; N2 = 105), we applied lesion network mapping to test whether lesion locations associated with spiritual and religious belief map to a specific human brain circuit. ResultsWe found that brain lesions associated with self-reported spirituality map to a brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray. Intersection of lesion locations with this same circuit aligned with self-reported religiosity in an independent dataset and previous reports of lesions associated with hyper-religiosity. Lesion locations causing delusions and alien limb syndrome also intersected this circuit. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that spirituality and religiosity map to a common brain circuit centered on the periaqueductal gray, a brainstem region previously implicated in fear conditioning, pain modulation, and altruistic behavior.

Frequency, setting and influential factors associated with pharmacy student-patient encounters involving spirituality and religiosity during advanced practice rotations

IntroductionTo identify (1) how often and in what settings pharmacy students include spirituality and religion and (2) what factors may influence how often students incorporate spirituality in patient care plans. MethodsFourth-year pharmacy students completed a questionnaire defining the frequency and setting of patient care activities that incorporated spiritual beliefs during advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Demographics, prior spirituality and health coursework, and self-identified measures of religiosity and spirituality were collected. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics with nonparametric exploratory analysis. ResultsSixty-three students completed the survey (31.7% response rate). While 11% of students asked patients about spiritual needs, 25.4% reported inclusion of spiritual factors in therapeutic plan creation. The general medicine rotation was the most common setting identified. Student frequency of religious service attendance, self-identified religiosity, and self-reported spirituality were associated with perceived importance of asking patients about spiritual needs (P < .05 for all). This did not impact whether students asked about or incorporated these topics (P > .05 for all). Students who did ask about or incorporate spiritual and religious issues had significantly greater comfort in discussing these and referring patients to a chaplain (P < .05 for all). ConclusionsStudents are considering patients' spiritual needs in patient care activities. Greater student spiritual and religious practices positively influenced attitudes toward importance of asking about patient needs but did not influence student-reported behavior in patient care. Results highlight the need for instructors to consider how students' comfort levels and patient care setting influence addressing spiritual concerns.

Older Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults: What Predicts Adjustment to Aging?

Build a structural model to explore whether socio-demographic, health and lifestyle-related variables are correlates of adjustment to aging (AtA) in a group of older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. The sample comprised 287 community-dwelling older LGB adults aged 75 years and older. Convenience sampling was used to gather questionnaire data. Measures encompassed the Adjustment to Aging Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, demographics (sex, age, professional and marital status, education, household, and family annual income), and lifestyle and health-related characteristics (self-reported spirituality, leisure, physical activity, perceived health, and medication). Structural equation modeling was used to explore a structural model of the self-reported AtA, comprising all the above variables. Outcomes revealed satisfactory goodness of fitness indices in both the measurement and structural model. The study variables contributed towards a high percentage of AtA variability. Perceived health and leisure were the strongest correlates of AtA. The results of this study indicate that policy making and community interventions with older LGB adults may benefit from including variables such as perceived health and leisure, income, education, spirituality, sex, physical activity, satisfaction with life, and marital status.

Spirituality and quality of life in women with breast cancer: The role of hope and educational attainment.

This study investigated relationships among spirituality, hope, and overall quality of life in Muslim women with breast cancer in Malaysia. A cross-sectional descriptive design with a convenience sample of 145 Malay patients was used. The mediating role of hope in the relationship between spirituality and quality of life as well as the moderating effect of education level on the spirituality hope link were examined. Participants with higher self-reported spirituality reported more hope (b = 6.345, p < 0.001) and higher levels of quality of life (b = 1.065, p < 0.001). Higher educational attainment weakened relationships between spirituality and hope (b = -1.460, p < 0.001). The role of advanced education in contributing to lessened hope in relation to spirituality emphasizes the importance of skilled and personalized spiritual counseling in the respective socio-cultural religious context.

Personal Spirituality and Perceived Importance of Discussing Spirituality Among Parents of Children with Cancer, Pediatric Oncologists, and Psychosocial Clinicians (RP422)

•Compare parents' perceptions regarding importance of discussing spirituality with pediatric oncologists versus psychosocial clinicians.•Contrast oncologist versus psychosocial clinician perceptions regarding importance of discussing spirituality with parents of children with cancer. Spiritual meaning-making impacts parents' experiences of childhood cancer care. A recent systematic review (Robert et al, Pediatr Blood Cancer, 2019) advocated spiritual needs assessments throughout the illness trajectory. However, families of children with newly diagnosed cancer may lack immediate and routine access to chaplaincy. Thus, we sought to understand parent, oncologist, and psychosocial clinician preferences for discussing spirituality. To test the hypotheses that parents value discussing spirituality with psychosocial clinicians, and more so than with pediatric oncologists; psychosocial clinicians value discussing spirituality with parents, and more than do pediatric oncologists. The overall design was a pilot feasibility study of an interprofessional communication intervention. Parents were eligible if their child had received <14 weeks of cancer treatment upon approach. Pediatric oncologists (fellows and nurse practitioners) and psychosocial clinicians who provided continuity care to children with cancer were eligible. Surveys querying communication attitudes and preferences, self-reported spirituality, and demographic attributes were distributed to parents of children with cancer upon enrollment, and to providers immediately prior to communication training. All participants were queried on degree of personal spirituality (not at all/slightly/moderately/very) and importance of discussing spirituality (not at all/a little/somewhat/very/extremely). Thirty-one parents (94%), 14 oncologists (100%), and 13 psychosocial clinicians (100%) returned surveys. Overall, 65% of parents, 46% of oncologists, and 50% of psychosocial clinicians self-described as moderately or very spiritual. More parents tended to indicate discussing spirituality with psychosocial clinicians was extremely/very important as compared to discussing spirituality with pediatric oncologists (55% vs. 32%, p=0.07). All psychosocial clinicians versus 35% of pediatric oncologists described discussing spirituality with parents as extremely/very important (p<0.0004). Most parents indicated discussing spirituality with psychosocial clinicians was extremely/very important. Parents may place greater importance on discussing spirituality with psychosocial clinicians than with pediatric oncologists, which appears concordant with professionals' views.

Medical Student Spirituality and Substance Use.

Although medical students report relatively high levels of substance use, little is known about the risk and protective factors associated with substance use in this population. This study sought to examine the link between spirituality and substance use among medical students. As part of a larger study, medical students from all 9 medical schools in the state of Florida were invited to complete an anonymous survey pertaining to distress and well-being. Responses to items assessing self-reported spirituality and substance use were examined and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Data from 868 medical students (57% female) were included. Of these, 22.6% described themselves as "non-spiritual," 31.0% described themselves as "spiritual," 18.5% engaged in informal spiritual practices, and 27.9% reported formal spiritual/religious practices. Students who reported stronger spirituality also reported lower rates of substance use. Though 31% of respondents across all levels of spirituality reported that their alcohol consumption increased since starting medical school, rates of binge drinking after exams were inversely related to level of spirituality. Self-reported spirituality appears to be associated with decreased risk of substance use in medical school. Future studies should examine this relation in greater depth.

The Influence of Spirituality and Religiosity on US Oncologists' Personal Use of and Clinical Practices Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Background:Cancer patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and spirituality has been associated with CAM use among patients. We evaluated how oncologists’ spirituality and religiosity are associated with personal use and patient recommendations for CAM.Methods:A survey was mailed to 1000 medical oncologists in the United States. The questionnaire asked about oncologists’ approaches to CAM use by patients, focusing on the use of herbs and supplement (HS), and about religiosity and spirituality.Results:Of 937 deliverable questionnaires, 392 were returned (response rate 42%). Respondents were mostly men (71%) and Caucasian (76%), with a median age of 48. Approximately 16% reported no religion, 19% Jewish, 24% Catholic, 28% Christian, and 13% other religions. Eighteen percent reported attending religious services at least once a week, including 15% who attend several times per week. Twenty-eight percent reported high theological pluralism (skepticism regarding whether one religion is comprehensively and uniquely true); 58% described themselves as moderately or very spiritual. Self-reported spirituality and religious service attendance were associated with using CAM personally and recommending HS to patients. In multivariate analyses, moderate-high spirituality and attending religious services less than monthly was positively associated with personal use of CAM: odds ratio (OR) = 3.10 (confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-6.5) and OR = 3.04 (CI = 1.5-6.6), respectively. Physicians with moderate to high spirituality were more likely to report recommending CAM in general (OR = 3.07, CI = 1.3-7.1), but less likely to report recommending HS (OR = 0.33, CI = 0.14-0.75).Conclusion:Self-reported spirituality is a significant factor among US oncologists’ decision to use CAM and recommend CAM to patients.

A View of Spirituality and Spiritual Care in a Sample of Spanish Nurses

The aim of this paper was to explore a select group of Spanish nurses’ views of spirituality and spiritual care. An exploratory design using both qualitative and quantitative methods was used in this study. The participants were nurses who were enrolled in a Master of Nursing Research. Data were collected via an open questionnaire. Furthermore, participants completed the Meaning in Life Scale (MiLS-Sp), whose results were analysed using quantitative methodology. The results that were obtained from the quantitative analyses reported a satisfactory mean score on nurses’ self-reported spirituality. Qualitative data were analysed using grounded theory procedures. Qualitative analysis showed two approaches to spirituality nurses’ views: (i) a clinical approach that influenced by the context of their clinical practice and (ii) an alternative approach where spirituality was viewed as a health resource, moving away from the biomedical model of nursing training. Nurses are sensitive to spirituality issues and acknowledge their importance to practice. Despite this, they view spirituality in a rather mechanistic way without changing their attitudes, competences and perspectives on healthcare.

Examining the role of social support and spirituality on the general health perceptions of Hispanic cancer survivors.

Although cancer survival rates continue to improve, overall disparities persist for ethnic minority survivors, who have a disproportionately high risk of experiencing poor quality of life, despite documented higher levels of self-reported spirituality. Yet little is known about the relationship between spirituality and social support and health outcomes among Hispanic survivors. This study examined (1) differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white survivors on health, social support, and spirituality and (2) the potential mediating roles of mental health and emotional distress on general health perceptions. We analyzed data (N=7778) from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II, a national cross-sectional study of adult cancer survivors. Preliminary analysis compared sociodemographic and medical characteristics between the 2 groups to identify significant covariates. Structural equation modeling assessed whether mental health and emotional distress mediate the impact of social support and spirituality on Hispanics' general health perceptions. Overall, 693 survivors were Hispanic and 7085 were non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics reported poorer health and were more likely to have comorbid conditions such as diabetes and depression compared with non-Hispanic whites. Structural equation modeling indicated that the impact of spirituality on general health perceptions was fully mediated through mental health. Emotional distress did not have a direct effect on general health perceptions nor did it mediate effects of spirituality and social support and on general health perceptions. There was a mediated effect of social support on general health perceptions. Spirituality is an important factor in the health of Hispanic survivors. Future studies should explore the impact and effectiveness of spiritual interventions and the beneficial effect for mental health on general health perceptions.

Students’ views on expanding contours of social work practice through spirituality

ABSTRACTThis article surveys the views of 15,067 social work students across 12 countries on social work practice and spirituality. Responses were elicited on precoded binary response categories as derived from literature. Results of the logistic regression analyses, as embedded in the original study design, showed that students from Australia, European countries, and the United States; women; postgraduate students; Christians; and those with higher self-reported spirituality scores saw mindfulness-based spiritually–sensitive interventions as the core mode of micro–level work with individuals and groups. Spirituality was seen as philosophically expanding the contours of practice by laying newer ways of assessment, intervention, and change.

Lost in translation: Adolescents and young adults use words of hope to express their spirituality.

185 Background: Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) with cancer are at risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, in part because cancer may disrupt developmental processes such as spiritual questioning. Indeed, spirituality may enable hope, meaning, and purpose, in turn facilitating the adjustment to cancer. The need to address spirituality has been established among adult patients, how to do so in an AYA age-appropriate manner has not been described. We aimed to better understand the language and perspectives of AYAs regarding spirituality. Methods: AYA patients (ages 14-25 years) were eligible if they had been diagnosed with cancer within the past 60 days. Demographic surveys including self-reported spirituality and religiousness were completed at the time of enrollment. Semi-structured, 1:1 interviews were conducted at the time of enrollment, 6-12, and 12-18 months later. Verbatim transcripts were coded by three independent coders using directed content analysis for instances of spirituality, religiosity, hope, and fear. Additional deductive analyses used a priori coding themes defined from prior conceptualizations of AYA hope: forced effort, personal possibilities, expectations of a better tomorrow, and anticipation of a better tomorrow Results: Seventeen patients completed 44 interviews with &gt; 100 hours of transcript-data. Their mean age was 17.1 (±2.7); 8 (47%) were male, their diagnoses were sarcoma (n = 8), acute leukemia (n = 6), and lymphoma (n = 3). At enrollment 10 (58%) &amp; 6 (35%) endorsed personal spirituality and religiousness in surveys, respectively, few verbal narratives included explicit self-identification of either construct. Further, while many AYAs denied spiritual beliefs, all of them endorsed hopes, often as a source of strength, meaning, or self-expression. Longitudinal analyses suggested an evolution of spiritual beliefs and self-identities, even when patients selected other language to describe such processes. Conclusions: AYAs with cancer are trying to work-through complex existential beliefs and questions. Often, instead of defining themselves as spiritual or religious or using explicit spiritual language, they articulate their existential feelings with the language of hope.

Effect of a spiritual education programme in developing altruism and prosocial behaviour among children

This article reports on a two-year experimental study with 3278 children from schools in 15 countries, who underwent a spiritual education programme (SEP) aimed at enhancing altruism and prosocial behaviour. Results showed that post-test scores of the participant children on the self-report altruism scale and prosocial personality battery were higher than the comparison group, and their own pre-test scores. Participant children from affluent countries, high scorers on self-reported religiosity and spirituality, those who attended six-eight rounds of the SEP and regularly self-practiced, had higher post-treatment scores. Hierarchical regression models showed that self-practice was the most important post-test predictor of altruism and prosocial behaviour.

Spirituality in Rehabilitation Counseling of Adults With Physical Disabilities: Views of Practitioners Across Countries

The purpose of the study is to understand the views of practitioners across countries, on spirituality for rehabilitation counseling of adults with congenital and acquired disabilities. A survey of 1,269 practitioners in the field of disability across 15 countries was conducted. Results showed that practitioners had a favorable view of spirituality. Logistic regression results highlight several cross-country nuances in practitioners’ views toward spirituality for rehabilitation counseling, and more so, differentials in terms of adults with congenital and acquired physical disabilities. Practitioners who focused on a client-centered approach vis-à-vis those who diversified also into macro-level work of networking and advocacy, and specifically those who had high self-reported spirituality, proposed that for adults with congenital physical disabilities, spirituality enabled living with disabilities, as against a rationalization and justification of the disability. They favored mindfulness techniques as the modes of working with the clients and reported that by cultivating relational consciousness, spirituality enabled meeting the social goal of rehabilitation counseling. Furthermore, practitioners from affluent nations placed a premium on the deconstructing potential of spirituality and its facilitative role in enabling the clients themselves, and significant others, to transcend the ability/disability binary. The study foregrounds the importance of spiritually sensitive approaches in rehabilitation counseling.

Older adults’ adjustment to aging: The impact of sense of coherence, subjective well-being and socio-demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors

IntroductionLiterature lacks of studies assessing correlates of adjustment to aging (AtA) among older populations.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to build a structural model to explore the predictors of adjustment to aging (AtA) in a community-dwelling older population.MethodsA community-dwelling sample of 1270 older adults aged between 75 and 102 years answered a questionnaire to determine socio-demographic (sex, age, professional and marital status, education, household, adult children, family's annual income, living setting and self-reported spirituality), lifestyle and health-related characteristics (perceived health, recent disease, medication and leisure). Several instruments were used to assert psychological variables, namely AtA, sense of coherence and subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling was used to explore a structural model of the self-reported AtA, encompassing all variables.ResultsSignificant predictors are self-reported spirituality (β = .816; P &lt; .001), perceived health (β = .455; P &lt; .001), leisure (β = .322; P &lt; .001), professional status (β = .283; P &lt; .001), income (β = .230; P = .035), household (β = -.208; P = .007), sense of coherence (β = -.202; P = .004) and adult children (β = .164; P = .011). The variables explain 60.6% of the variability of AtA.ConclusionsSelf-reported spirituality is the strongest predictor of AtA. This study emphasizes the need for deepening the variables that influence older adults’ AtA, in particular perceived health and further lifestyle-related characteristics, as being relevant for promoting aging well in later life, within a salutogenic context for health care.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Correlates of adjustment to aging among the young-old and the oldest-old: A comparative analysis

ABSTRACTThis study aims to compare the correlates of adjustment to aging (AtA) reported by young-old and oldest-old adults and to build two structural models to explore the correlates of AtA for these two age groups. A cross-national study encompassing a community-dwelling sample of 823 older adults aged 65 years and older was undertaken. Several measures were employed to assess AtA, subjective well-being, and sense of coherence. A questionnaire to determine socio-demographic (sex, age, professional and marital status, education, household, adult children, family’s annual income, living setting, and self-reported spirituality), lifestyle and health-related characteristics (perceived health, recent disease, medication, and leisure) was also used. Structural equation modeling was employed to investigate a structural model of AtA, comprising socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related variables, as well as SWB and SOC for both groups. Leisure was the most significant correlate of AtA for the young-old (β = .422; p < .001) while self-reported spirituality was the most significant correlate of AtA for the oldest-old (β = .711; p < .001). Significant correlates explain 67.8% and 73.1% of the variability of AtA, respectively. The results presented in this study highlighted different perspectives of AtA, outlined in two structural models, for the groups, and the need of addressing the differences between these, when implementing health care interventions, in particular the relevance of leisure and self-reported spirituality.