The current study had two primary goals, to determine whether: 1) self-rated mental and physical health, pain, and experience with health problems were predictors of elderly adults' attitudes toward death; and 2) death attitudes predict end-of-life medical treatment concerns. Participants were 109 adults, 65 years of age or older (M=78.74 years), recruited from the local community. Regression analysis indicated that poorer perceived physical health predicted a greater likelihood of viewing death as an escape, and poorer perceived mental health predicted a greater fear of death. Viewing death as an escape and fearing death predicted end-of-life medical treatment concerns; a greater endorsement of either attitude predicted more concern. Possible explanations for the links between perceived health, attitudes toward death, and concern about end-of-life issues are suggested.
%0 Journal Article
%1 citeulike:180210
%A Lockhart, L. K.
%A Bookwala, J.
%A Fagerlin, A.
%A Coppola, K. M.
%A Ditto, P. H.
%A Danks, J. H.
%A Smucker, W. D.
%C Department of Psychology & Sociology, MSC 177, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA.
%D 2001
%J Omega (Westport)
%K adults cause worry death older
%N 4
%P 331--347
%T Older adults' attitudes toward death: links to perceptions of health and concerns about end-of-life issues.
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12569924
%V 43
%X The current study had two primary goals, to determine whether: 1) self-rated mental and physical health, pain, and experience with health problems were predictors of elderly adults' attitudes toward death; and 2) death attitudes predict end-of-life medical treatment concerns. Participants were 109 adults, 65 years of age or older (M=78.74 years), recruited from the local community. Regression analysis indicated that poorer perceived physical health predicted a greater likelihood of viewing death as an escape, and poorer perceived mental health predicted a greater fear of death. Viewing death as an escape and fearing death predicted end-of-life medical treatment concerns; a greater endorsement of either attitude predicted more concern. Possible explanations for the links between perceived health, attitudes toward death, and concern about end-of-life issues are suggested.
@article{citeulike:180210,
abstract = {The current study had two primary goals, to determine whether: 1) self-rated mental and physical health, pain, and experience with health problems were predictors of elderly adults' attitudes toward death; and 2) death attitudes predict end-of-life medical treatment concerns. Participants were 109 adults, 65 years of age or older (M=78.74 years), recruited from the local community. Regression analysis indicated that poorer perceived physical health predicted a greater likelihood of viewing death as an escape, and poorer perceived mental health predicted a greater fear of death. Viewing death as an escape and fearing death predicted end-of-life medical treatment concerns; a greater endorsement of either attitude predicted more concern. Possible explanations for the links between perceived health, attitudes toward death, and concern about end-of-life issues are suggested.},
added-at = {2007-02-16T15:24:54.000+0100},
address = {Department of Psychology \& Sociology, MSC 177, Texas A\&M University, Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA.},
author = {Lockhart, L. K. and Bookwala, J. and Fagerlin, A. and Coppola, K. M. and Ditto, P. H. and Danks, J. H. and Smucker, W. D.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/25b9b909154b99f61144ddd1d6364301a/willwade},
citeulike-article-id = {180210},
comment = {does getting old and thinking about death increase your chances of dying?},
interhash = {86513a521a5cb72f439a0627fc6ca0e6},
intrahash = {5b9b909154b99f61144ddd1d6364301a},
issn = {0030-2228},
journal = {Omega (Westport)},
keywords = {adults cause worry death older},
number = 4,
pages = {331--347},
priority = {2},
timestamp = {2007-02-16T15:25:00.000+0100},
title = {Older adults' attitudes toward death: links to perceptions of health and concerns about end-of-life issues.},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve\&db=pubmed\&dopt=Abstract\&list_uids=12569924},
volume = 43,
year = 2001
}