MULTIMORBIDITY, DISABILITY, AND MORTALITY: MODERATION BY POSITIVE RELATIONS WITH OTHERS. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Friedman, E; Franks, M; Rector, J; Thomas, P
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 697
• Page End: 698
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.2592
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: Most adults over age 60 have multiple chronic medical conditions (multimorbidity), and higher rates of multimorbidity put older adults at increased risk for disability and mortality. Further, disability is hypothesized to explain the link between multimorbidity and increased mortality risk, although empirical support for this mediating pathway is limited. The current study examined the degree with which disability – assessed by functional limitations – accounted for the link between multimorbidity and mortality using data from the longitudinal Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS; N = 3, 929). We also examined the extent to which social resources moderated the longitudinal relationships among multimorbidity, functional capacity, and mortality. Multimorbidity was determined from a set of self-reported chronic conditions. Functional limitations were assessed using 9 items from the SF-36. The eudaimonic well-being domain of Positive Relations with Others (Ryff, 1989, 1995) was used to assess social resources. In generalized structural equation models (GSEM) adjusted for sociodemographic variables and baseline limitations, functional limitations significantly mediated the association of multimorbidity and mortality. Inclusion of interaction terms showed that the associations of multimorbidity with limitations and with mortality were moderated by Positive Relations with Others; associations also varied by sex. These results show that multimorbidity increases mortality risk in aging adults in part through reductions in functional capacity. They also highlight a role for social resources as a buffer against disability and mortality in those with multimorbidity, particularly women.