Objective: To describe quality of life trajectories of older men over a 10-year time frame in mental and physical health domains, and to determine if these trajectories predict death over a subsequent 9-year period.
Method: A cohort study of Royal Canadian Air Force aircrew veterans. We used Short Form-36 (SF-36) measures of mental and physical functioning collected prospectively at six time points between 1996 to 2006 (734 men with a mean age of 85.5 [ SD 3.0] years in 2006) to determine trajectories. Continued contact with the cohort from 2006 to 2015 determined subsequent mortality.
Results: Men were more likely to maintain high levels of mental functioning than physical functioning. Thirty-seven percent of participants maintained a high level of both mental and physical functioning. Declining function in either mental or physical function was associated with lower survival.
Conclusion: Men who maintain physical and mental functioning have a lower mortality rate.
Keywords: SF-36; functional status; longitudinal studies; mortality; older men.