Associations between functional ability and life satisfaction in the oldest old: results from the longitudinal population study Good Aging in Skåne

OBJECTIVES To describe change in functional ability in the oldest-old population during 3 years and examine its relation to life satisfaction (LS). A total of 681 individuals aged 78 and older from the population-based study Good Aging in Skåne took part. METHODS Functional ability was assessed using Sonn and Åsberg's Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale and related to LS assessed by Neugarten et al's Life Satisfaction Index A (LSI-A). RESULTS Fifty-one percent of 87-93-year-olds reported ADL decline during 3 years. Individuals reporting impaired ADL had a mean LSI-A value of 23.0 compared to 26.4 in those unchanged. ADL decline had a stronger negative effect on LS in the younger group (78-84 years), r = 0.207, P < 0.001. In a multiple regression model, one score's decline in ADL capacity corresponded to 1.5 scores lower LS (P < 0.001). DISCUSSION Effort put into keeping the oldest old on a high level of functional ability has the potential to maintain the LS of this population.