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66/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 66 out of 100. Disparities

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Objective To assess the association between purpose in life and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly persons. Methods We used data from 1238 older persons without dementia from two longitudinal cohort studies (Rush Memory and Aging Project and Minority Aging Research Study) with baseline evaluations of purpose in life and up to 5 years of follow-up to test the hypothesis that greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Results The mean +/- standard deviation score on the purpose in life measure at baseline was 3.7 +/- 0.5 (range = 2-5), with higher scores indicating greater purpose in life. During the 5-year follow-up (mean = 2.7 years), 151 of 1238 persons (12.2%) died. In a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, education, and race, a higher level of purpose in life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality (hazard ratio = 0.60, 95% Confidence Interval = 0.42, 0.87). Thus, the hazard rate for a person with a high score on the purpose in life measure (score = 4.2, 90th percentile) was about 57% of the hazard rate of a person with a low score (score = 3.1, 10th percentile). The association of purpose in life with mortality did not differ among men and women or whites and blacks. Further, the finding persisted after the addition of terms for several potential confounders, including depressive symptoms, disability, neuroticism, the number of chronic medical conditions, and income. Conclusion Greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older persons.

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

APA 7th

Boyle, P. A., Barnes, L. L., Buchman, A. S., & Bennett, D. A. (2009). Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Psychosomatic medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e3181a5a7c0

Vancouver

Boyle PA, Barnes LL, Buchman AS, Bennett DA. Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Psychosomatic medicine. 2009. doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e3181a5a7c0. PMID: 19414613.

BibTeX

@article{boyle2009-19414613,
  author  = {Boyle, P. A. and Barnes, L. L. and Buchman, A. S. and Bennett, D. A.},
  title   = {{Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons}},
  journal = {Psychosomatic medicine},
  year    = {2009},
  doi     = {10.1097/psy.0b013e3181a5a7c0},
  pmid    = {19414613},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e3181a5a7c0}
}

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Key findings

Methods We used data from 1238 older persons without dementia from two longitudinal cohort studies (Rush Memory and Aging Project and Minority Aging Research Study) with baseline evaluations of purpose in life and up to 5 years of follow-up to test the hypothesis that greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of mortality among community-dwelling older persons.
Results The mean +/- standard deviation score on the purpose in life measure at baseline was 3.7 +/- 0.5 (range = 2-5), with higher scores indicating greater purpose in life.
In a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, education, and race, a higher level of purpose in life was associated with a substantially reduced risk of mortality (hazard ratio = 0.60, 95% Confidence Interval = 0.42, 0.87).
Conclusion Greater purpose in life is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older persons.

Why it matters

Among 1238 older persons without dementia, a higher level of purpose in life was associated with a reduced risk of death over about 5 years. This is an observational link to mortality, not evidence that purpose in life treats, cures, or prevents Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designcohort study
Participants1,238
Effect size12.2%
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 66/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a cohort study following people over time. Scored zero for randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychosomatic medicine)
Journal's citation record	3 / 4	Psychosomatic Medicine: journal h-index 293 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	7 / 12	A cohort study following people over time
Strength of evidence	3 / 5	Rated “moderate” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	1 / 5	2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	3 / 4	1,238 participants
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	3 / 3	Studied in people (participant count stated)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	6 / 7	Cited 525 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	4 / 5	27.6 citations a year over 19 year(s) since 2009
Impact for its field and year	5 / 6	Cited 21.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	1 / 6	Cited by 1 other studies in this library
Still being cited	3 / 4	Cited 79 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author David Alan Bennett: h-index 197 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	1 / 3	National Institute on Aging: institution h-index 907 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	1 / 3	OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19414613)
Free to read	0 / 2	Behind a paywall — scores zero
Total	66 / 100	—

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