Between-Person and Within-Person Associations Among Sensory Functioning and Attitude Toward Own Aging in Old Age: Evidence for Mutual Relations

Late-life hearing loss and vision loss might prompt more negative attitudes toward one's own aging because older adults may interpret impaired sensory functioning as a sign of aging. At the same time, more positive attitudes toward own aging might, via various mechanisms, be associated with better sensory functioning. We investigated how objective hearing and vision are associated with attitude toward own aging (ATOA) over time. Our sample comprised 497 participants from the Berlin Aging Study (mean baseline age: 85.15 years, SD = 8.58 years) who provided up to six observations over an average time span of 3.73 years (range 0−15 years). We computed longitudinal multilevel regression models, specifying vision, hearing, and age as within-person and between-person predictors of ATOA, and ATOA and age as between- and within-person predictors of vision and hearing. Covariates were sex, socioeconomic status, suspected dementia, chronic physical diseases, and depression. Significant within-person age effects indicated that vision and hearing declined over time, and ATOA became less favorable over time. At the between-person level, we found that participants with a more favorable ATOA exhibited better hearing, but not better vision, at baseline. Between-person associations of vision and hearing with ATOA were not significant. At the within-person level, there was only one significant effect across all models: On measurement occasions when individuals' vision was better, they also reported more favorable ATOA. This association was stronger among older individuals. Improving prevention and treatment of vision loss could thus help older adults to maintain positive views on their own aging. Public Significance Statement Sensory impairments in old age are common, and they challenge individuals' autonomy and well-being. Investigating associations of late-life visual and hearing acuity with attitude toward own aging across up to 15 years, we found significant associations both at the between-person (attitude toward own aging-hearing) and the within-person levels (vision-attitude toward own aging). Prevention and optimal treatment of impaired sensory functioning might contribute to counteracting shifts toward pessimistic views on aging and their negative consequences for quality of life and health, and promoting positive views on aging might help to maintain sensory functioning in later life.