Böcker av Cristina Llanos Jones

The older adult population is growing faster than any other cohort of people. By the year 2011, the baby boomers will start turning age 65, presenting a problem for public policy and healthcare systems. One of the key components of successful aging is the maintenance of good health.Numerous studies have extensively documented the link between good health and high lifesatisfaction. Humor has also been shown to be a positive coping mechanism used by older adultsto combat the stressors of aging. The current study explored the relationship between healthstatus, life satisfaction, and humor as a coping mechanism among noninstitutionalized olderadults. The sample consisted of 109 participants over the age of 65. Structural equation modelingwith latent variables indicated that health status and life satisfaction were highly correlated withan increase in health status leading to an increase in life satisfaction. However, coping withhumor neither correlated with nor mediated the relationship between health status and lifesatisfaction. Reasons for these results are explored and suggestions for future studies arepresented.