Table A. Quantitative and mixed studies of successful aging.
| No. | Author name & year of study | Type of study | Population | Country | Dimensions of successful aging |
| 1 | Cho et al (2015) | Sequential study (Structural equation modelling) | 375 centenarians (98+) and octogenarians(80-89 years old) | USA | Physical functioning, having no physical health impairment, education, past life experience, cognitive functioning, social resources, perceived economic status. |
| 2 | Cheung and Lau(2015) | Cross-sectional data analysis | 120(95-108) | China | Physical and functional health, Psychological well-being and cognition, Social engagement and family support, and Economic resources and financial security |
| 3 | Cosco et al (2015) | Population-based study | 740(65+) | UK | Physical functioning and cognitive Functioning, personal resources, engagement, and self-awareness |
| 4 | Tyrovolas et al (2015) | Survey (2005-2011) | 2,663 older (aged 65-100 years old) | Greece | Education, financial status, physical activity status, BMI, psychological level, participation in social activities with friends and family, yearly excursions, the burden of CVD risk factors, and dietary habits |
| 5 | Gasiorek(2015) |
Second data analysis(Latent class analysis across of two datasets |
692(40-82 years old) | New Zealand and USA | Subjective approach (answer to questions: How successfully have you aged up to now? How well are you aging? How do you rate your life these days? I am happy with the age I am right now; at my age, I feel that life has much to offer, and I’m as happy at this stage of my life as I have been at other points in time) |
| 6 | Feng et al(2015) | Comparative study(longitudinal survey) | 19,346(65+) | China and Korea | Free from major illness and disability, having no depressive or symptom, participating in social or productive activities, and being satisfied with life |
| 7 | Tyrovolas et al(2014) | Follow-up study | 2663 elderly (aged 65–100 years old) | 21 Mediterranean Islands | Psychosocial economic factors(education, financial status, social activity with friends, Social activities with family, going to excursions, GDS score); Clinical characteristics factors(CVD risk score, Body mass index); Lifestyle characteristics factors(Med-Diet Score, Frequency of daily physical activities) |
| 8 | Tovel and Carmel(2014) | Cross-sectional study | 262(75+) | Israel | Subjective well-being measured by Positive Morale Scale ( Agitation, Attitude toward aging, Lonely, dissatisfaction), Life Satisfaction Scale(resolution, congruence, self-concept and mood tone) and Happiness Scale |
| 9 | Li et al (2014) | Population-based cross-sectional study | 903(65+) | Taiwan | SF-36 The SF-36 PCS and MCS scales (physical functioning, social functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, role limitations due to emotional problems, mental health, vitality, pain, and general perception of health |
| 10 | Tate et al(2013) | Content analysis from Manitoba Follow-up Study and Generalized Linear Mode | 2,043 men were alive at a mean age of 78 years in 1996 | Canada | Leisure activity and interests(activity/ interests/hobbies–specific; keeping active–nonspecific; pursuing interests–nonspecific; and performing mental activities), Happiness (content/satisfied/comfortable with self; reflecting on life; sense of humor/worth; sense of purpose; enjoying/having an interesting life; and knowing offspring are doing well), Attitude(positive attitude/being interested/looking ahead; having good fortune/who I am; don’t think about aging; thinking young; being thankful; having virtues; having dignity; and less stress/worry), Health–General(being healthy, having few health problems, not having disabilities, absence of illness/sickness, and gradual deterioration), Physical Activity(keeping physically fit/working out; keeping physically active; participating in sports; and golfing), Relationships–Family(loving spouse and relationships with family), Coping, Adjustment, Acceptance, Being Productive, Contributing(Having goals/making plans; being productive/useful; contributing/helping family; contributing/helping friends; volunteering; and donating to charity), Living and Dying(not aging; staying alive; chronological; comparative; and die quickly), Life Experience(education/career; being retired; and having served in the war), Independence(autonomy; make own decisions; independent living; independent activities of daily living (IADL); basic activities of daily living (ADL); mobility; driving/flying; and financial security), Health–Physical(good physical health, no/minimal physical disease/impairment/disabilities, physical function(ability), and feeling healthy/energetic.), Relationships Companionship(companionship/ belonging; friendships/neighbours; and animal companionship), Adaptation(assistive devices; living one day at a time; moderation/accommodation; planning for future support/assistance; and receiving support when it is needed), Lifestyle(nutrition; no smoking/ drinking/drugs; smoking/drinking in moderation; and healthy lifestyle choices), Health–Cognitive(memory, mind, ability to communicate, and not having mental illness), Relationships–Society(keeping active socially and interest in/ties to the community/world), Spirituality, Health–System(health care provider, taking medication, and minimal/no health care required.), Quality of Life(good lifestyle and basic needs are provided), Relationships–Intimate |
| 11 | Hodge et al(2013) | Cohort study | 5512 older adults(70+) | Australia | Who had survived to age 70 years, who at follow-up study reported none of: diabetes, heart attack, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, angioplasty, stroke, or had a cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), impairment, or perceived major difficulty with physical functioning(SF-12), without having any limitation in moderate activities (such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum cleaner, bowling, or playing golf), or having a lot of limitation in climbing several flights of stairs, no difficulty in using a telephone or perform the following instrumental activities of daily living: shopping, walking 200 m, getting out by car or public transport by themselves, going up stairs or doing heavy work around the house such as shovelling dirt or washing walls. Without psychological distress such as depression and anxiety(Kessler scale) |
| 12 | Swift and Tate(2013) | Manitoba Follow-up Study: thematic codes of an open question and correlation | 2043(74-88 years old) | Canada |
Primary control proper( Health care provider, Taking medication Education/career, Having served in the war Having/accomplishing goals/making plans, Assistive devices , Moderation/accommodation, Being productive/useful Contributing/helping family Contributing/helping friends, Volunteering Donating to charity, Keeping physically fit/working out, Keeping physically active, Participating in sports, Golfing, Activity/interests/hobbies, Keeping active, Pursuing interests, Performing mental activities, Healthy nutrition, No smoking/drinking/drugs, Smoking/drinking in moderation, Healthy lifestyle choices, Independence - autonomy, Independence - make own decisions, Independence — independent living, Independence - instrumental activities, Independence- basic activities, Independence — mobility, Independence - driving/flying, Independence - financial) Limited primary control(Being healthy, Having few health problems, Absence of illness/sickness, Gradual deterioration, Good physical health, No/minimal physical disease/impairment, Physical functional ability, Feeling healthy/energetic, Memory, Mind Ability to communicate, Minimal/no health care required, Not aging, Staying alive, Comparative age, Being retired Good, lifestyle, Basic needs provided, Getting support when needed) Pertinent to primary control(Not having disabilities, Not having mental illness, Reaching old age, Dying quickly) Secondary control proper(Positive attitude, Having good fortune, Don't think about aging, Thinking young, Being thankful, Knowing offspring are doing well, Coping with personal stressors, Coping with family/friend's declining health/death, Adjusting to wife's/friend's declining health/death, Accepting changing body, Accepting the “natural progression” of life, Accepting wife's/friend's declining health/death, Loving spouse, Relationships with family, Companionship/belonging — non-specific, Friendships/neighbors, Animal companionship, Intimate relationships, Keeping active socially, Interest in/ties to the community/world, Being spiritual/having faith, Sense of purpose, Planning for future support/assistance, Sense of meaning and purpose) Limited secondary control(Having virtues, Having dignity, Sense of humor/worth, Enjoying/having an interesting life, Less stress/worry, Content/satisfied/comfortable with self, Living one day at a time) |
| 13 | Gwee et al (2013) |
Cross-sectional data analysis |
489 community-dwelling (65+) | Singapore | Self-rated SA on an analogue scale from 1 to 10 and five specific dimensions (physical health and function, mental well-being, social engagement, psychological well-being, and spirituality/religiosity) |
| 14 |
Jeon et al -2012 |
Cross-sectional data analysis |
600 older adults (65+) | South Korea | Modified Rowe and Kahn model: self-reported health(Healthy habits, Subjective health, chronic diseases), social network(emotional support, instrumental support) physical-cognitive function, psychological trait(life satisfaction, self-efficacy), productive activity(hours of PA and Numbers of PA) |
| 15 | Hilton et al(2012) |
multi-method approach |
60 older Latinos (50+) | USA |
Quantitative results: highest and lowest rankings based on Phelan questions: act on inner standards, feel good about self, good health, cope with aging challenges, sense of peace about the end of life, friends and family support, no regrets, stay involved with world and others, able to work, longevity. Qualitative results: positive attitude, independence, good health, stay involved with life, social relationships/family, cognitive functioning, self-care, acceptance, financial well-being, spirituality/religion/transcendence |
| 16 | Thielke and Diehr(2012) | Population-based longitudinal study | 5888 adults )65+) | USA | Psychological, physical, cognitive, and functional status(not hospitalized, no bed days, life satisfaction, life as a whole, not depressed, no limitations in activities of daily living, no limitations in independent activities of daily living, intact extremity strength, Self-rated health, Intact cognition, Ability to ambulate, Frequent ambulation |
| 17 | Lee et al (2011) | Survey | 312 participants aged 65+ | Taiwan | Physical(physical condition over the past two weeks), psychological(psychological symptoms of depression and stress), social support(personal interaction with others), leisure time(frequency of engaging in intense exercises or activities and frequency of out-of-town traveling during the past 12 months) |
| 18 | Tan et al(2011) | Survey (Phelan(2004)questionnaire used) | Anglo-Australian and 116 Chinese-Australian(60+) | Australia | Rated as an important aspect among both Chinese and Anglo-Australians: physical health and functioning, the absence of disability and disease, staying engaged with life, adjusting to changes, being able to make choices and having friends and family. |
| 19 | Parslow et al (2011) | Second data analysis | 2286 elders(61 to 85 years old) | Australia | Latent variable of successful aging: Self-assessed physical and mental Health(general health question), life satisfaction(Delighted– Terrible scale), and cognitive function(MMSE score) |
| 20 | Bowling and Iliffe(2011) | Postal follow-up in 2007/8 of a 999 people | 287 national random sample(65+) | UK | Biomedical (having diagnosed, chronic medical conditions; ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), psychiatric morbidity(GHQ-12)); Broader biomedical(number of different social activities engaged in during past month) Social functioning(number of different social activities engaged in during past month, frequency of social contacts, number of helpers/supporters); Psychological resources(self-efficacy, sense of purpose, playing useful part, coping, facing up to problems, overcoming difficulties; self-esteem, feels has self-confidence and has self-worth); Lay(gross annual income and perceived social capital, rating of area facilities transport, closeness to shops, services, area problems, crime, vandalism, graffiti, speed and volume of traffic, air quality, somewhere nice to go for a walk, feels safe walking alone during the day or night) |
| 21 | Wang and lin(2011) |
Cross-section national survey |
1309(65+) | Taiwan | Physical health(self-rated health, self-reported ability to stand up), mental health(depression) social/productive engagements(having paid jobs, no. of weekly hours in paid work, no. of weekly hours in volunteer work, social support) economic security(current financial condition, economic sufficiency during retirement) |
| 22 |
Doyle et al(20 10) |
Longitudinal study with follow-up data | 3005 members aged 50+ | UK |
Objective: avoidance of disease and related risk factors, maintenance of high function and sustained engagement with life Subjective: process of selection, optimization and compensation/confidence(optimal well-being as outcome) |
| 23 | Pruchno et al 2010)) | Data analysis from a Panel study(2006 and 2008) | from 5,688 persons aged 50 – 74 years 0ld | USA |
Objective: functional ability, pain, number of diseases Subjective: aging well, life rating(self-rated) |
| 24 | Hsu et al(2010) |
Secondary data analysis (modified Delphi method and analytical hierarchy process) |
23 city(4624 older adults) | Taiwan | Area-level indicators of Successful aging: health status(chronic disease prevalence, chronic disease screening, healthy aging), health lifestyle(smoking, drinking, chewing betel nuts, exercise, diet) health care resources and utilization(disease prevention and medical utilization, medical resources, long-term care resources) social participation(employment and productive activities, economic security, education, community development, volunteer) social environment(safety, infrastructure) natural environment(air, water, garbage disposal) |
| 25 | Pin Ng et al(2009) | Cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis | 1281 older adults(65+) | Singapore | Functioning and wellness: cognitive and affective status(MMSE and GDS), physical health(self-reported health and IADL), social functioning and engagement(the level of participation (often or at least once a week) engaging with at least one listed social or productive activities including social, recreational, civic activities, voluntary work, and paid employment or business, and domestic activities) and life satisfaction(self-reported of interest in life, happiness, loneliness, and general ease of living) |
| 26 | Tate et al(2009) | Manitoba Follow-up Study | 734 Men older adults | Canada | Health (physical, mental, and cognitive health); health behaviours (physical and mental activity or interests including health care and lifestyle); having life (longevity, being alive, and resistance to aging); productivity (being useful, contributing, volunteering); independence (in mobility and self-care); spirituality/faith (in whatever way stated); acceptance/adaptation (including coping mechanisms); social networks(family/ friends, and social activity); life experience(earlier choices in occupations, education, and retirement to support quality of life) |
| 27 | Jang et al(2009) | Survey | 1825 persons aged 65+ | The Republic of Korea | Physical functioning (chronic diseases and ADL scale), mental functioning (history of mental Disease and MMSE scale), social functioning(social activity participation per week) subjective well-being( PGCMS scale) |
| 28 | Kahng(2008) | Second data analysis of Americans’ Changing Lives (ACL) data | 683 older adults (65+) | USA | Physical health(chronic health condition, functional health, physical health), mental health(depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, self-efficacy), engagement with life(formal social integration, informal social integration, social support from friends and relatives) |
| 29 | Bowling(2006) | Second data analyses | 854 older adults (50+) | UK | Health and functioning; psychological factors; social roles and activities; financial and living circumstances; Social relationships; neighborhood/community; work; independence |
| 30 | Li et al (2006) | Cross-sectional | 100000 older adults(65+) | China | Chinese version of functional health (MMSE), activities of daily living (ADL), the Life Satisfaction (LSIA), functional social support (DUFSS), leisure activities, healthy behaviours, negative life events, health (SF-36) |
| 31 | Hsu(2007) | Qualitative and quantitative method | 720 elderly | Taiwan | physical health and independence(living without chronic disease), economic security, family and social support(living with family and receiving emotional care), engagement with life, spiritual well-being, and environment and social welfare policy |
| 32 | Phelan et al (2004) | Cross-sectional(mailed survey) | 1985 Japanese American elders and 2581 white men and women (65+) | USA | Physical health, functioning, psychological/mental health(perception of autonomy, control and coping), social health |
| 33 | Tate et al (2003) | The Manitoba Follow-up Study: content analysis and correlation | 3983(The mean age at entry was 31 after 50 years follow-up (a mean age of 78) | Canada | Health and disease(good health or less pain, visits to physicians, and having check-ups), physical activity, keeping mentally active, Keeping socially, keeping active in general ( Keeping active (unspecified), keep busy, keep going, keep working), happy life or satisfying lifestyle ( Happiness, enjoy life, satisfying lifestyle, don’t worry, retirement(quite work)), positive outlook on life or having a positive attitude(Positive outlook, attitude, interest in life), Having close and loving family and friends(Have a loving spouse, family, and friends), spiritual component, accepting growing old(growing old gracefully, peace of mind, tranquillity), Independence (being able to carry on, lead a normal life, make own decisions, mobile, do whatever you want, keep up responsibilities), Recognition of necessity for moderation (to decline gradually, limitations, adjust capabilities), A component encompassing mention of diet or eating (eating (includes all ingestible: smoking, drinking, vitamins), good appetite), having goals or challenges(travel), being financially secure, having hobbies or interests(having various interests, activities), being useful (volunteering, helping others, being productive), being content(having a sense of humor(laughing)), miscellaneous(staying alive) |
| 34 | Ford et al(2000) | Followed up | 602 older adults (70+) | USA | Sustained Independence: receiving no help, in the form of either formal (paid) or informal (unpaid) service, with any of the personal or instrumental ADLs during the 2-year observation period(A total of 17 activities, including seven personal care tasks(feeding self, dressing, grooming, transferring, bathing, toileting and walking), seven instrumental activities(use of telephone, transportation, shopping, meal preparation, housework, taking medication and handling money), plus three self-designated, highly valued activities such as going to church or recreational activities, Visits to physicians and hospital admissions |
| 35 | Strawbridge and e al(1996) | longitudinal study | 356 older adults | USA | Ability to do 13 basic physical activities: bathing, eating, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, walking across a room, transferring from bed to chair, shopping, cooking, doing housework, walking a half mile (0.8 km), walking up a flight of stairs, and having no problem getting where they needed to go. ability to do five physical performance activities: lifting or carrying weights over 10 pounds (4.54 kg); stooping, crouching, or kneeling; pushing or pulling a large object (like a living room chair); Lifting arms above the shoulders, and writing or handling small objects. |