Effects of Self-Perception of Aging Interventions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Self-perception of aging (SPA) is associated with various health outcomes in the aging process. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of existing interventions targeting SPA among older adults, and to synthesize their effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, CENTRAL, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP, and WanFang databases for randomized controlled trials that reported intervention effects on SPA, physical performance, and mental health in older adults. Two researchers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. RESULTS: A total of 16 studies were included for qualitative analysis, and 12 studies of them were included for meta-analysis. The results showed a significant impact of interventions on SPA, with an effect size of -0.56 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): -1.06 to -0.07, p = .03). And the results also supported a significant improvement in physical performance and mental health among older adults. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Self-perception of aging interventions present a promising approach to enhance positive aging perception for older adults, with potential benefits extending to physical performance and mental health. However, larger-scale and more robust trials are still required to validate these findings and obtain more accurate conclusions.