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Abstract
This eight-year follow-up study examines the roles of physical and leisure activity as predictors of mental well-being among older adults born in 1904–1923. As part of the Evergreen project, 1224 (80%) persons aged 65–84 years were interviewed at baseline (1988), and 663 (90%) persons in the follow-up (1996). Mental well-being factors including depressive symptoms, anxiety, loneliness, self-rated mental vigour and meaning in life were constructed using factor analysis. The predictors of mental well-being included physical and leisure activity, mobility status and number of chronic illnesses. We used a path analysis model to examine the predictors of mental well-being. At baseline, low number of chronic illnesses, better mobility status and leisure activity were associated with mental well-being. Baseline mental well-being, better mobility status and younger age predicted mental well-being in the follow-up. Explanatory power of the path analysis model for the mental well-being factor at baseline was 19% and 35% in the follow-up. These findings suggest that mental well-being in later life is associated with activity, better health and mobility status, which should become targets for preventive measures.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge financial support from the Social Insurance Institution, the Ministry of Education, the Academy of Finland, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Association of Finnish Lions Clubs, the Scandinavian Red Feather project, the University of Jyväskylä, and the city of Jyväskylä. We express our warm thanks to all our colleagues who contributed to planning and implementing the study. We also wish to thank Professor Esko Leskinen (statistics) for his valuable advice and comments during the preparation of the manuscript.
