Self-rated Health and Well-being in Recently Retired People: the Influence of Subjective Aging

Abstract

Background: As self-rated health (SRH) and subjective well-being (SWB) are important determinants of mortality in later life, there is a major interest to identify influences on elderly people’s SRH and SWB. There is high evidence that self-perceptions of aging are also related to health. Former studies indicate an association between a positive perception of aging with a higher SRH. However this relation has not been addressed adequately. Methods: Data from the German Aging Survey (DEAS) are used to investigate the relationships between self-perceived aging, SWB and SRH in the transition period to retirement including effects of social relations. DEAS is a nationwide representative cross-sectional and longitudinal survey of the population 40+. Findings: Correlations of subj. aging and SH/SWB are going to be presented. In particular the moderating effects of social relations as well as parameters of retirement such as voluntariness and timing are discussed. Discussion: This research shows the importance of self-perceptions of aging for SWB and SRH. Identifying ways to promote a positive self-perception of aging from retirement on seems to be an important task for health promotion.