By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : July 11, 2022 7:51 pm
Researchers from Bar-Ilan University find that even in old age, feeling young can lower the risks of developing physical disability and morbidity
As scientists gradually discover evidence that people who feel younger than their chronological age are typically healthier and more psychologically resilient, the saying "you're only as old as you feel" rings increasingly true.
Could the expression also hold for older people recuperating from physical disabilities? Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have found that feeling young can increase the chances of successful rehabilitation from medical conditions, even in old age. Their study was recently published in the journal Gerontology.
The study tracked 194 adult patients aged 73-84 undergoing rehabilitation from osteoporotic fractures or stroke in several rehabilitation facilities across Israel. Fractures (mostly due to falls) and stroke are frequent health events that result in the loss of one’s functional independence, considered the greatest fear of older adults.
Patients were interviewed several times throughout their rehabilitation. They were asked about their subjective age (how young they felt), feelings, and experiences. Their functional independence was assessed by nursing personnel who rated their functioning level at admission and discharge using the Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) test.
Patients who felt younger (had a younger subjective age) at hospital admission showed better functional independence at discharge approximately one month later. The beneficial effect of feeling younger was found both for patients who were rehabilitated from osteoporotic fractures (mainly due to falls) and for those who were rehabilitated from a stroke. The researchers also found that those who felt younger rehabilitated better because they were more optimistic about their chances of regaining their functional abilities.
"The effect of subjective age at admission on functional independence at discharge was confirmed," says Prof. Amit Shrira, from the Gerontology Program at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, who led the study together with Prof. Ehud Bodner, also from the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences department. "However, the reverse effect -- that of functional independence at admission on subjective age at discharge -- was not confirmed. This supports the conclusion that a younger age identity is an important psychological construct that contributes to more successful rehabilitation," added Shrira, who conducted the research with Dr. Daphna Magda Kalir from the Gender Studies Program, among others.
This study was funded by the Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology, and Space.