Awareness of Age-Related Change is Associated With Attitudes Toward Death and Dying in Older Adults

Abstract

Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) may influence very old adults’ death attitudes, yet evidence is limited. This study examined the relationship between SPA and death attitudes. Data are from a representative sample of very old German adults from the NRW80+ study (N = 1,863). SPA was measured using the Awareness of Age-Related Change scale (AARC-10SF). Death attitudes included mortality salience, fear of own death and dying (FDD) and death acceptance. Women reported higher mortality salience and greater fear of dying than men. Higher chronological age was related to greater death acceptance. Structural equation modeling showed that higher scores on both AARC-Gains and AARC-Losses were associated with higher mortality salience. Moreover, AARC-Losses showed a positive association with death acceptance, which in turn was associated with lower FDD. These findings highlight SPA as a double-edged phenomenon: they may intensify mortality salience while perceived AARC-Losses may accompany acceptance processes related to reduced FDD.

Keywords

awareness of age-related change end-of-life existential threats representative survey

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