Indicators of resilience and healthcare outcomes: findings from the 2010 health and retirement survey

Objective To test the hypothesis that higher levels of resilience indicators are associated with lower overall healthcare utilization (HCU) as well as improvements in self-rated health (SRH), we analyzed a representative sample of 4562 adults 50—70 years old enrolled in the US 2010 health and retirement survey. Methods Multivariable logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for high versus low resilience in relation to HCU and SRH improvements over 2 years. Resilience indicators included: cumulative lifetime adversity, social support, global mastery and domain-specific mastery. Cumulative lifetime adversity was defined as 0, 1—2, 3—4 or 5+ events. HCU included hospitalization (any vs. none) and physician visits (