Self-perception of aging among HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

ABSTRACT

Self-perception of aging is an important predictor of quality of life. Therefore, we sought to examine self-perceptions of aging (age discrepancy and aging satisfaction) between HIV-positive and HIV-negative men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). We included 835 HIV-negative and 784 HIV-positive men aged 50 years and older who had completed a survey about age discrepancy and aging satisfaction from the “Attitude toward own aging” subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale. Multinomial generalized logit models were generated to assess self-perception of aging by HIV-status. Most of the participants self-identified as white, former smokers, and had completed high school. HIV-positive individuals reported higher prevalence of comorbidities than HIV-negative individuals. After adjusting for covariates, positive age discrepancy (older subjective age) was positively associated with being HIV-positive and having less than a high school education, depressive symptoms, diabetes, and medium and low aging satisfaction. Low aging satisfaction was associated with being a current and former smoker and having depressive symptoms, diabetes, and no age and positive age discrepancy. Being black had decreased odds of low aging satisfaction. These findings should inform health care professionals to promote positive views of aging in the assessment and management of HIV, depression, and diabetes.

KEYWORDS:

• Subjective age
• HIV
• self-perceptions of aging
• aging satisfaction
• Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

Acknowledgements

Data in this manuscript were collected by the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) with centers at Baltimore (U01-AI35042): The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: Joseph B. Margolick (principal investigator [PI]), Todd Brown (PI), Jay Bream, Adrian Dobs, Michelle Estrella, W. David Hardy, Lisette Johnson-Hill, Sean Leng, Anne Monroe, Cynthia Munro, Michael W. Plankey, Wendy Post, Ned Sacktor, Jennifer Schrack, and Chloe Thio; Chicago (U01-AI35039): Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, and Cook County Bureau of Health Services: Steven M. Wolinsky (PI), Sheila Badri, Dana Gabuzda, Frank J. Palella Jr, Sudhir Penugonda, John P. Phair, Susheel Reddy, Matthew Stephens, and Linda Teplin; Los Angeles (U01-AI35040): University of California, UCLA Schools of Public Health and Medicine: Roger Detels (PI), Otoniel Martínez-Maza (PI), Otto Yang (co-PI), Peter Anton, Robert Bolan, Elizabeth Breen, Anthony Butch, Shehnaz Hussain, Beth Jamieson, John Oishi, Harry Vinters, Dorothy Wiley, Mallory Witt, Stephen Young, and Zuo Feng Zhang; Pittsburgh (U01-AI35041): University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health: Charles R. Rinaldo (PI), Lawrence A. Kingsley (PI), Jeremy J. Martinson (PI), James T. Becker, Phalguni Gupta, Kenneth Ho, Susan Koletar, John W. Mellors, Anthony J. Silvestre, and Ronald D. Stall; data coordinating center (UM1-AI35043): The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health: Lisa P. Jacobson (PI), Gypsyamber D'Souza (PI), Alison Abraham, Keri Althoff, Michael Collaco, Priya Duggal, Sabina Haberlen, Eithne Keelaghan, Heather McKay, Alvaro Muñoz, Derek Ng, Anne Rostich, Eric C. Seaberg, Sol Su, Pamela Surkan, and Nicholas Wada; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Robin E. Huebner; and National Cancer Institute: Geraldina Dominguez.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The MACS is primarily funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, with additional co-funding from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Targeted supplemental funding for specific projects was also provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders. MACS data collection is also supported by grant UL1-TR001079 (Johns Hopkins University Institute for Clinical and Translational Research) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. This research was supported by the NIH via interagency agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and other NIH Cooperative Agreements (U01-HD-32632): National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01-MD010680) (Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD, metropolitan area: Michael Plankey [co-PI] and M. Reuel Friedman [co-PI]) and National Institute of Mental Health (5 F32 MH105293-03) (George Washington University, Nieves-Lugo [PI]).