Knowledge on Aging and Well-Aging Behaviors in Korean Women: Mediating Effect of Aging Anxiety

Backgrounds: For well-aging, it is necessary to activate efforts such as maintenance of health lifestyle from younger people rather than anti-aging efforts in mid-life or older age. Women may be more vulnerable to the aging process compared to men, because women experience hormonal changes throughout life span, that is, during pregnancy, delivery, and menopause. As in previous studies, younger people with low aging anxiety, compare to people with high aging anxiety, have positive attitudes to aging and tend to be prepared for aging.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of anxiety on aging in the relationship between knowledge on aging and well-aging behaviors in early adult Korean women.

Methods: Participants were 249 early adult Korean women (age range: 20~29). For measurement of well-aging behaviors as the dependent variable, a questionnaire composed by our research team based on previous research was used. Knowledge on aging and anxiety on aging were measured using instruments developed by Han(2000) and Kim(2011) respectively. The mediating effect was analyzed by using multiple regressions according to the 3-step mediation analysis proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986).

Results: Average scores for well-aging behaviors, knowledge on aging and anxiety on aging in these women were 60.8, 55.3, and 57.8 respectively. Step 1 regression analysis showed that knowledge on aging significantly affected anxiety on aging (β=-.267, t=-4.35, p< .001). Step 2, the knowledge on aging had a significant effect on well-aging behaviors (β=.166, t=2.65, p=.009). Step 3, when the knowledge on aging and anxiety on aging were entered into the regression model at the same time, anxiety on aging had significant effects on well-aging behaviors(β=-.314, t=-5.06, p< .001), and the effect of knowledge of aging on well-aging behaviors was less in step 3(β=.082, t=1.33, p=.185) than in step 2.

Conclusions: Results of this study show that anxiety on aging completely mediated the relationship between knowledge on aging and well-aging behaviors. Based on these results, health professionals can improve their understanding about well-aging and develop strategies to decrease aging anxiety of younger woman to enhance well-aging behavior.