A group of researchers determined whether older adults can experience improvements in cognitive and physical functioning over time and whether positive beliefs about aging predict such improvements.
Study
Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal survey of adults aged 50 years and older in the United States conducted by the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. The study is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and collects health, social, and economic data every two years. Individuals included in the analyses had baseline measurements of age beliefs and at least one follow-up assessment of cognitive or physical functioning.
Cognitive performance was assessed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), and physical functioning was evaluated using walking speed measured during a 2.5-meter walking test. A faster walking speed indicated better physical function, and participants were followed for up to 12 years.
Age beliefs were measured using the Attitude Toward Aging subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, with higher scores indicating more positive beliefs about aging.
Cognition was measured among participants aged 50 to 99 years, whereas walking speed was assessed among participants aged 65 years and older at baseline and final follow-up. Statistical analyses examined whether participants improved in cognition or walking speed from baseline to the final follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether positive attitudes toward aging predicted improvement in both cognition and walking speed while controlling for demographic, health, and psychosocial factors.
Findings
The findings challenged the widely held belief that aging inevitably leads to decline. A substantial proportion of participants showed improvements in either cognitive or physical functioning during the follow-up period. Overall, 45.15% of participants experienced improvements in cognition or walking speed over time, demonstrating that positive health changes are not rare in later life.
When examined separately, 31.88% of participants improved their cognitive performance, and 28% improved their walking speed. These rates greatly exceeded the benchmark established by the United States Healthy People 2030 initiative, which the study used as a reference threshold for defining a “meaningful” proportion of improvement, set at at least 11.5% of older adults.
The results also showed that stability itself was common. When individuals whose functioning remained stable were added to those who improved, 51.06% of participants showed stable or improved cognitive function, and 37.56% demonstrated stable or improved walking speed. These findings highlight that many older adults maintain or enhance their abilities rather than experiencing continuous decline.
Some individuals improved in memory but not mobility, while others walked faster without significant cognitive gains. Among participants who improved in cognition, approximately 44% also improved their walking speed, showing that these health domains may develop somewhat independently.
Further analyses explored whether beliefs about aging influenced these improvements. Positive age beliefs significantly predicted better outcomes in both domains. Individuals with more optimistic attitudes toward aging had higher odds of experiencing improvements in cognitive functioning and walking speed, even after accounting for age, education, health conditions, sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and other factors.
For example, statistical models showed that participants with stronger positive age beliefs had increased odds of cognitive improvement and faster walking speed during the follow-up period. These relationships remained significant even when stricter criteria for improvement were applied, such as requiring larger gains in cognitive test scores or walking speed.
Additional analyses examined participants who already had normal baseline levels of cognitive or physical function. Even among these individuals, positive age beliefs predicted future improvements. This suggests that the relationship between beliefs and health is not limited to people recovering from impairment but also applies to individuals who begin with relatively good functioning.
Overall, the results demonstrate that improvement in later life is both possible and common. They also indicate that psychological and cultural factors, such as beliefs about aging, may influence how individuals age physically and cognitively. The study builds on the framework of stereotype embodiment theory, which proposes that people internalize societal beliefs about aging over the life course and that these beliefs can later influence health outcomes when they become self-relevant.
Conclusion
The findings show that aging does not inevitably lead to decline. Many adults experienced increases in their physical and cognitive abilities over time, contrasting with common assumptions about aging. More positive beliefs about aging were associated with a higher likelihood of improvement, suggesting that mindset and cultural attitudes toward aging may influence health trajectories in later life.
Promoting more positive attitudes toward aging may therefore have implications for healthcare practices, policies, and personal behaviors, with the goal of supporting aging populations in maintaining or improving health and functioning. The authors also note that many aging studies average health changes across participants, which can mask improvement occurring within subgroups of older adults.
Source:
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260308/Can-aging-bring-improvement-instead-of-decline-Long-term-study-says-yes.aspx