ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING AMONG WIDOWED WOMEN - IDENTIFYING PROFILES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Q: What was the main objective of the study?

To identify patterns (profiles) of attitudes toward aging among widowed middle-aged and older women and examine factors associated with these profiles.

Q: Which factors were associated with belonging to the High attitudes toward aging group?

Compared with the Low group, better self-rated health increased the likelihood of belonging to the High group, while older age and higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower odds.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Genevieve

Widowed middle-aged and older adults’ attitudes toward aging are linked to psychological well-being and health status, but distinct attitude patterns among widowed women remain understudied. This study identifies profiles of attitudes toward aging and associated factors in 1,223 widowed women (age 48–99) from the 2020 and 2022 Health and Retirement Study using Leave-Behind Questionnaire data. Latent Profile Analysis found Low, Middle, and High profiles; multinomial logistic regression linked older age and depressive symptoms to lower odds of the High group, while better self-rated health increased those odds.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study aim and data

Measures and analysis

Results: attitudinal profiles

Factors associated with profiles

Implications

732 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 SESSION 7165 (POSTER) WOMEN Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2492 ATTITUDES TOWARD AGING AMONG WIDOWED WOMEN: IDENTIFYING PROFILES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS Yeonsoo Shin1, Juhyeong Lee2, and Giyeon Kim3, 1. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States, 2. The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 3. Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Although previous research reports that widowed middle-aged and older adults’ attitudes toward aging are closely linked to their psychological well-being and health status, their distinct patterns of attitudes toward aging remain understudied. This study aims to identify patterns of attitudes toward aging among widowed middle-aged and older women and examine factors associated with these profiles. Using a nationally representative sample drawn from the 2020 and 2022 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), this study analyzes 1,223 widowed women, aged 48 to 99. The dataset includes responses to the Leave-Behind Questionnaire, which was distributed to half of the participants in 2020 and the other half in 2022. Attitudes toward aging were assessed using eight items on a six-point scale. Results from Latent Profile Analysis identified three attitudinal profiles based on attitudes toward aging, with higher scores indicating a more positive perception of aging: Low (36.7%), Middle (30.7%), and High (32.5%) . Results from multinomial logistic regression showed that, compared to the Low group, older age (OR = 0.95, p<.001) and higher depressive symptoms (OR = 0.75, p<.001) were associated with lower odds of belonging to the High group. In contrast, those with better self-rated health (OR = 1 .57, p<.001) were more likely to be in the High group. These findings highlight the role of self-rated health in fostering positive attitudes toward aging, while older age and depressive symptoms may be linked to more negative perceptions. These results suggest opportunities for interventions to support widowed women develop a more positive perspective on aging.

FAQs

What was the main objective of the study?

To identify patterns (profiles) of attitudes toward aging among widowed middle-aged and older women and examine factors associated with these profiles.

How were attitudes toward aging measured?

Attitudes toward aging were assessed using eight items on a six-point scale from Leave-Behind Questionnaire responses.

Which factors were associated with belonging to the High attitudes toward aging group?

Compared with the Low group, better self-rated health increased the likelihood of belonging to the High group, while older age and higher depressive symptoms were associated with lower odds.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Genevieve