Why some people seem to age better than others is among several questions an Auburn University School of Nursing researcher hopes to answer through a study of how individuals adjust with the aging process. Using a battery of questionnaires, Wilder has just completed a year-long data gathering mission involving the voluntary participation of nearly 100 people between the ages of 65 and 94. Participants in the study are part of the Nutrition Program for the Aging in Lee and Russell Counties, Wilder said. Another was designed to measure a person's hardiness. Wilder describes hardiness as a personality characteristic found among the elderly who seem to cope with and adjust best to aging.
Hardy individuals display generally a positive outlook.
While Wilder says a person's assessment of quality of life varies, her research stressed quality of life as being defined by one's functional ability and satisfaction with life. Wilder said her work has led her to conclude that positive attitude is an important aspect of hardiness. Factors such as education and income also play a role. Individually, they really don't appear to have a significant impact.