CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 212Optimism, Hope, and Well-beingAging and Gerontology ResearchHealth and Wellbeing Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 48 of the 50 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Dispositional optimism and health behaviour in community‐dwelling older people: Associations with healthy ageing

Steptoe, Andrew*, Wright, Caroline, Kunz‐Ebrecht, Sabine R., Iliffe, Steve·2006·British Journal of Health Psychology
DOI 10.1348/135910705x42850
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Objective Dispositional optimism measured with the Life Orientation Test has been associated with a variety of health outcomes. We assessed whether optimism was related to indices of healthy ageing, and if effects were mediated through health behaviours. Method A community sample of 128 men and women aged 65 to 80 years was recruited from general practice lists. Optimism and health behaviours were assessed by questionnaire, and healthy ageing indexed by physical health summary scores from the Short Form 36, and by self‐rated health. Results Optimism was associated with not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, brisk walking, and vigorous physical activities (women only), independently of socio‐demographic factors and clinical condition. Physical health status was associated with optimism, independently of socio‐demographic factors, clinical condition, negative affectivity, and body mass. This effect was attenuated when health behaviours were taken into account. Self‐rated health was also positively related to optimism, and this association was not mediated by health behaviours. Neither the optimism nor pessimism subscales of the Life Orientation Test showed as consistent effects as the full scale. Conclusions We conclude that dispositional optimism is associated with healthy ageing. The relationship between optimism and healthy ageing was only partly mediated by the health behaviours assessed in this sample.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1348/135910705x42850

Cites

48 of 48 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. Chang E. C., 2001, Optimism and pessimism
  2. Jenkinson C., 1996, The UK SF‐36: An analysis and interpretation manual
  3. Marmot M., 2003, Health, wealth and lifestyles of the older population in England
  4. 10.1037/0022-3514.67.6.1063 · DOI · Paper page
  5. 10.1037/0022-3514.56.4.640 · DOI
  6. Townsend P., 1988, Health and deprivation: Inequalities and the north
  7. Ware J. E., 1994, SF‐36 physical and mental health summary scales: A user manual

Cited by

Sorted by citations

See all 212

Related

See all

Metadata

Authors
Steptoe, A., Wright, C., Kunz‐Ebrecht, S. R., & Iliffe, S.
Affiliations
University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Steptoe, Andrew*
ORCID
Venue
British Journal of Health Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2006-02
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
71-84
ISSN
  • 1359-107X (ISSN-L)
  • 2044-8287
DOI
10.1348/135910705x42850
OpenAlex
W2062595366
Cited by
211
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 13
FWCI
5.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor, 1787 d)
Locations
  • British Journal of Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Wellbeing Research
Keywords
dispositional optimism, healthy aging, health behavior, older adults, Life Orientation Test, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, self-rated health, physical health, mediation, pessimism
MeSH terms
Affect, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Body Height, Body Weight, Chronic Disease, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Motor Activity, Surveys and Questionnaires, Residence Characteristics, Smoking, Health Behavior

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review