Subjective aging and Instrumental activities of daily living: Moderation by healthcare access and mediation by healthcare resources.

Abstract

Older adults experience subjective aging associated with a decline in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), for which healthcare resources and access would be beneficial. How they manage their IADL across age cohorts with healthcare support is less well known. We aimed to address this gap in knowledge by analyzing the National Health and Aging Trends round 11, 2021 data set on 2325 older adults (females = 54.1%, age range 1 to 90 and above) by age cohort (middle-old − 71–79, n = 1074; older-old − 80–89, n = 965, oldest- old- 90 plus, n = 286). Results indicate that regardless of healthcare access and resources, subjective aging is associated with a decline in IADL among all old age groups. However, this decline in IADL increases is higher at older-old (80–89 years) compared to the middle-old (71–79 years) and oldest-old (above 90 years old). These findings indicate a “doughnut effect” of higher subjective aging in IADL at older-old (80–89 years) may reported with IADL distress their subjective aging compared to the middle-old (71–79 years) and oldest-old (above 90 years old). The “doughnut effect” suggests that older-old (80–89 years) may be with higher subjective aging in their IADL transitioning from middle-old (71–79 years), whereas the oldest-old (above 90 years) may be more adjusted to their IADL limitations.