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Age and Ageing Advance Access published online on March 22, 2005
Age and Ageing, doi:10.1093/ageing/afi044
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Age and Ageing © British Geriatrics Society 2005; all rights reserved
Received May 23, 2004
Revised December 6, 2004

Article

Morale in the oldest old: the Umeå 85+ study

Petra von Heideken Wågert 1*, Birgitta Rönnmark 1, Erik Rosendahl 1, Lillemor Lundin-Olsson 1, Janna M. C. Gustavsson 1, Björn Nygren 2, Berit Lundman 2, Astrid Norberg 2, and Yngve Gustafson 1

1 Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine and Physiotherapy, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
2 Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Petra von Heideken Wågert, E-mail: petra.heideken.wagert{at}germed.umu.se


  Abstract

Objective: to describe morale among the oldest old, and to investigate which social, functional and medical factors are associated with morale in this population.

Design: a cross-sectional study.

Setting: a population-based study in the municipality of Umeä, a city in Northern Sweden.

Subjects: half of the 85-year-old population, and the total population of 90-year-olds and ≥95-year-olds (95-103) were asked to participate (n = 319) and 238 were interviewed.

Methods: structured interviews and assessments during home visits, interviews with relatives and caregivers and review of medical charts. The 17-item Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) was used to measure orale. Participants were assessed with the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and a symptom questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to find independent factors to explain the variation in the PGCMS score.

Results: eighty-four per cent (n = 199) of those interviewed answered the PGCMS. Three-quarters had middle range or high morale. GDS score, type of housing, previous stroke, loneliness and number of symptoms, adjusted for age group and sex, explained 49.3% of the variance of total PGCMS score.

Conclusions: a large proportion of the oldest old had high morale. The most important factors for high morale were the absence of depressive symptoms, living in ordinary housing, having previously had a stroke and yet still living in ordinary housing, not feeling lonely and low number of symptoms. The PGCMS seems applicable in the evaluation of morale among the oldest old.

Keywords: aged, 80 and over, morale, psychological well-being, depression, epidemiologic studies, elderly.
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