Perceived Control Mediates Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Chronic Stress on Physical Frailty: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study.

TitlePerceived Control Mediates Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Chronic Stress on Physical Frailty: Findings From the Health and Retirement Study.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsMooney, CJ, Elliot, AJ, Douthit, KZ, Marquis, A, Seplaki, CL
JournalJ Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
Volume73
Issue7
Pagination1175-1184
Date Published2018 09 20
ISSN Number1758-5368
KeywordsAged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Frail Elderly, Frailty, Humans, Internal-External Control, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Models, Theoretical, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic factors, Stress, Psychological
Abstract

Objective: To investigate the psychosocial etiology of physical frailty by examining the influence of chronic stress and perceived control.

Method: Using population-based samples of older adults from the Health and Retirement Study, this study employed structural equation modeling in cross-sectional (N = 5,250) and longitudinal (N = 2,013) samples to estimate the effects of chronic stress and socioeconomic status (SES) on baseline frailty and change in frailty status over 4 years and the extent to which perceived control mediates or moderates effects of chronic stress.

Results: Perceived control fully mediated effects of chronic stress and partially mediated effects of SES on both baseline frailty and change in frailty. Multigroup analyses revealed that the mediating role of perceived control was consistent across age, gender, and racial/ethnic subgroups. There was no evidence to support a moderating role of perceived control in the chronic stress and frailty relationship.

Discussion: Findings provide novel evidence for a mediating role of perceived control in pathways linking SES and chronic stress to frailty, further underscoring the importance of psychosocial constructs to the development and progression of frailty in older adults.

URLhttp://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/08/12/geronb.gbw096.long
DOI10.1093/geronb/gbw096
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27522087?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalJ Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci
Citation Key8581
PubMed ID27522087
PubMed Central IDPMC6146760
Grant ListK01 AG031332 / NIA NIH HHS / National Institute on Aging / United States