Associations of Awareness of Age-Related Change With Emotional and Physical Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Meta-Analysis

Serena Sabatini et al. Gerontologist. 2020.

Abstract

Background and objectives: This systematic review aimed to synthesize and quantify the associations of awareness of age-related change (AARC) with emotional well-being, physical well-being, and cognitive functioning.

Research design and methods: We conducted a systematic review with a correlational random effects meta-analysis. We included quantitative studies, published from January 1, 2009 to October 3, 2018, exploring associations between AARC and one or more of the following outcomes: emotional well-being, physical well-being, and cognitive functioning. We assessed heterogeneity (I2) and publication bias.

Results: We included 12 studies in the review, 9 exploring the association between AARC and emotional well-being and 11 exploring the association between AARC and physical well-being. No study explored the association between AARC and cognitive functioning. Six articles were included in the meta-analysis. We found a moderate association between a higher level of AARC gains and better emotional well-being (r = .33; 95% CI 0.18, 0.47; p <.001; I2 = 76.01) and between a higher level of AARC losses and poorer emotional (r = -.31; 95% CI -0.38, -0.24; p < .001; I2 = 0.00) and physical well-being (r = -.38; 95% CI -0.51, -0.24; p < .001; I2 = 83.48). We found a negligible association between AARC gains and physical well-being (r = .08; 95% CI 0.02, 0.14; p < .122; I2 = 0.00). Studies were of medium to high methodological quality.

Discussion and implications: There is some indication that AARC gains and losses can play a role in emotional well-being and that AARC losses are associated with physical well-being. However, the number of included studies is limited and there was some indication of heterogeneity.

Prospero registration: CRD42018111472.

Keywords: Aging; Awareness; Cognition; Health, Meta-analysis; Review.

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Figures

Figure 1.

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2009 flow diagram.

Figure 2.

Forest plot of the associations between awareness of age-related change (AARC) (gains and losses) and measures of emotional and physical well-being. (a) Forest plot of the associations between AARC gains and measures of emotional well-being. (b) Forest plot of the associations between AARC losses and measures of emotional well-being. (c) Forest plot of the associations between AARC gains and measures of physical well-being. (d) Forest plot of the associations between AARC losses and measures of physical well-being. Combined = effect sizes of Kaspar et al. (2019), Brothers et al. (2016), and Dutt et al. (2018) were combined; Overall = overall effect size of the five studies included in the meta-analysis.

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