Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol 50, Issue 2 S65-S76, Copyright © 1995 by The Gerontological Society of America
Change in productive activity in late adulthood: MacArthur studies of successful aging
TA Glass, TE Seeman, AR Herzog, R Kahn and LF Berkman
School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University, USA.
Both cross-sectional comparisons and patterns of change in productive
activities among members of the MacArthur Successful Aging cohort were
examined. The data came from a three-site longitudinal study of
community-dwelling adults aged 70-79. The highest functioning cohort (n =
1,192) was found to be significantly more productive than a comparison
group of medium- and low-functioning respondents at baseline in four of
five domains examined. In longitudinal models, we tested several hypotheses
regarding the determinants of change in levels of productive activity over
a three-year period. Overall, 15.1 percent (n = 162) of the cohort became
less productive, while another 12.7 percent (n = 136) became more
productive. Risk factors for decline in productivity included hospital
admission and stroke. Age, functional disability, marriage, and increased
mastery were protective against declines. Conversely, Blacks, those who
were more satisfied with life at baseline, and those reporting increased
mastery were more likely to increase their productivity.
