Successful aging and wellbeing: Self-rated compared with Rowe and Kahn

This research evaluates the utility of two differ-ent definitions of successful aging in predicting well-being. Design and Methods: We assessed the definitions of (a) self-rating and (b) Rowe and Kahn’s criteria of absence of disease, disability, and risk factors; maintaining physical and mental functioning; and active engagement with life. We made associations with well-being for each defini-tion using data from 867 Alameda County Study partic-ipants aged 65–99 years. Results: The percentage of those rating themselves as aging successfully was 50.3 % com-pared with 18.8 % classified according to Rowe and Kahn’s criteria. Although absence of chronic conditions and maintaining functioning were positively associated with successful aging for both definitions, many partici-pants with chronic conditions and with functional difficul-ties still rated themselves as aging successfully; none were so classified according to Rowe and Kahn’s criteria. On 14 of 15 measures, self-rated successful aging resulted in sharper contrasts for well-being. Implications