Self-perceptions of aging, important indicators of successful aging, are closely linked to health. Previous research has mainly examined the role of individual factors on self-perceptions of aging, but health is partly dependent on contextual factors such as primary care supply. This study therefore examined whether the impact of diseases on self-perceptions of aging is buffered by primary care supply in the district, as it ensures sustained health care continuity. Nationally representative German survey data on health and self-perceptions of aging (N = 4,442, 40–85 years) were linked to primary care supply (general practitioner density in regional districts). Multilevel modeling shows that the impact of disease burden (multiple illnesses) was buffered by primary care supply: Disease burden was less strongly associated with negative self-perceptions of aging in districts with good primary health care supply. This underlines the importance of health care resources for successful aging.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	self-perceptions of aging, primary care supply, self-perceptions of aging, health, multimorbidity, multilevel modelling
Research Division:	Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Research Group:	Psychology
Research Field:	Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health)
Objective Field:	Behaviour and Health
UTAS Author:	Schuz, B (Dr Benjamin Schuez)
ID Code:	92729
Year Published:	2014
Web of Science® Times Cited:	6
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2014-06-26
Last Modified:	2017-11-03
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