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Cited by 132Aging, Health, and DisabilityHealth, psychology, and well-beingFrailty in Older Adults

Empirical redefinition of comprehensive health and well-being in the older adults of the United States

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McClintock, Martha K., Dale, William, Laumann, Edward O., Waite, Linda·2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1514968113PMC PMC4896706
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Abstract

Significance: Health has long been conceived as not just the absence of disease but also the presence of physical, psychological, and social well-being. Nonetheless, the traditional medical model focuses on specific organ system diseases. This representative study of US older adults living in their homes amassed not only comprehensive medical information but also psychological and social data and measured sensory function and mobility, all key factors for independent living and a gratifying life. This comprehensive model revealed six unique health classes, predicting mortality/incapacity. The healthiest people were obese and robust; two new classes, with twice the mortality/incapacity, were people with healed broken bones or poor mental health. This approach provides an empirical method for broadly reconceptualizing health, which may inform health policy.

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  • The comprehensive assessment described provides a framework to determine goals and therapeutic approaches, including whether referral for diabetes self-management education is appropriate or whether the current plan is too complex for the individual's self-management ability or caregivers.

    “The comprehensive assessment described above provides a framework to determine goals and therapeutic approaches (8)(9)(10), including whether referral for diabetes self-management education is appropriate (when complicating factors arise or when transitions in care occur) or whether the current plan is too complex for the individual's self-management ability or the caregivers providing care (11).”

    From 13. Older Adults: <i>Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024</i> (2024) · cites this paper as [8]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
McClintock, M. K., Dale, W., Laumann, E. O., & Waite, L.
Affiliations
University of Chicago (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2016-05-16
Volume
113
Issue
22
Pages
E3071-80
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1514968113
PMC
PMC4896706
OpenAlex
W2396014933
Cited by
132
References
16
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4
FWCI
8.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.pnas.org/preview_site/misc/userlicense.xhtml (vor)
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
HHS | NIH | National Institute on Aging (R01AG021487, R37 AG030481, R01 AG033903)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
Keywords
WHO definition of health, biomedical model, health classes, older adults, health domain, mental health, loneliness, sensory function, hearing loss, mobility (physical function), bone fractures, mortality, health measurement, community-dwelling older adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Female, Health Status, Humans, Loneliness, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Sensation, United States, Health Behavior

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