Cohort Differences in Aging Self-Perceptions Among Japanese Older Adults

Various individual resources for successful aging have improved during the last decades. However, a limited number of studies have examined historical changes in how older individuals view their own aging. This study examined cohort differences in aging self-perceptions among Japanese older adults. Using nationally representative data obtained 9 years apart in 1987 and 1996, we compared two cohorts born in the 1920s versus the 1930s. To control for relevant correlates, we identified case-matched controls based on age, sex, and education (age range = 60-65 years; n = 499 per cohort). Results indicated that the later-born cohort held more positive self-perceptions of aging than the earlier-born cohort, even after adjusting for relevant correlates. The correlates with self-perceptions of aging did not differ across cohorts. Our findings suggest that self-perceptions of aging have improved over the historical time. We discuss the potential role of societal forces on personal views on aging. Later-born older adults view their experience of getting older as more positiveToday's older adults have better objective conditions, including economic status and physical health, than ever before. However, little is known about whether older adults nowadays view their experience of getting older as more positive or negative than their counterparts in the past. To better understand individuals' subjective views on aging, we compared two cohorts of Japanese older adults born 9 years apart, with data collected when they were aged between 60 and 65 years. We found that the later-born cohort viewed their experience of getting older more positively than the earlier-born cohort. The economic status and physical health were better in the later-born cohort, but the historical improvements did not fully explain the differences in subjective views on aging between the two cohorts. It remains unknown why later-born older adults viewed their experience of getting older more positively. It is important to identify the role of social systems, including educational and welfare services, to clarify what concrete policy measures can be taken to reduce individuals' negative perceptions of their aging.