The relationships between wisdom, positive orientation and health-related behavior in older adults

Abstract

Abstract The concept of healthy ageing, i.e. maintaining health in late life, is closely connected with the role of health behavior. Although health behavior is determined by personal factors, little is known about its relationships with wisdom and positive orientation. Therefore, the aim of the study was to establish relationships between sociodemographic and health factors, personal resources (wisdom and positive orientation) and health-related behavior in late life. The study included 353 Polish seniors aged 60–99 (M = 71.95; SD = 1.45). The respondents completed the Health-Related Questionnaire for Seniors, Three Dimensional Wisdom Scale, Positive Orientation Scale and a sociodemographic survey. Wisdom and positive orientation were associated with general health behavior and all of its factors. Among the sociodemographic variables, attendance in nonformal education courses had the strongest predictive role for health behavior. A hierarchical regression model demonstrated that personal resources significantly determined healthy lifestyle, after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Additionally, mediational analyses revealed that positive orientation acted as a partial mediator between wisdom and health behavior. Our findings extend knowledge about the factors enhancing healthy lifestyle in older adults, indicating that both wisdom and positive orientation may represent valuable personal resources for health-related behavior.