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Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Whitson, HE; Duan-Porter, W; Schmader, KE; Morey, MC; Cohen, HJ; Colón-Emeric, CS
Published in: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
April 2016

BACKGROUND: Resilience has been described in the psychosocial literature as the capacity to maintain or regain well-being during or after adversity. Physical resilience is a newer concept that is highly relevant to successful aging. Our objective was to characterize the emerging construct of resilience as it pertains to physical health in older adults, and to identify gaps and opportunities to advance research in this area. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review to identify English language papers published through January 2015 that apply the term "resilience" in relation to physical health in older adults. We applied a modified framework analysis to characterize themes in implicit or explicit definitions of physical resilience. RESULTS: Of 1,078 abstracts identified, 49 articles met criteria for inclusion. Sixteen were letters or concept papers, and only one was an intervention study. Definitions of physical resilience spanned cellular to whole-person levels, incorporated many outcome measures, and represented three conceptual themes: resilience as a trait, trajectory, or characteristic/capacity. CONCLUSIONS: Current biomedical literature lacks consensus on how to define and measure physical resilience. We propose a working definition of physical resilience at the whole person level: a characteristic which determines one's ability to resist or recover from functional decline following health stressor(s). We present a conceptual framework that encompasses the related construct of physiologic reserve. We discuss gaps and opportunities in measurement, interactions across contributors to physical resilience, and points of intervention.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

DOI

EISSN

1758-535X

Publication Date

April 2016

Volume

71

Issue

4

Start / End Page

489 / 495

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Resilience, Psychological
  • Physical Fitness
  • Humans
  • Gerontology
  • Aging
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aged
  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • 42 Health sciences
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Whitson, H. E., Duan-Porter, W., Schmader, K. E., Morey, M. C., Cohen, H. J., & Colón-Emeric, C. S. (2016). Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 71(4), 489–495. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glv202
Whitson, Heather E., Wei Duan-Porter, Kenneth E. Schmader, Miriam C. Morey, Harvey J. Cohen, and Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric. “Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct.J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 71, no. 4 (April 2016): 489–95. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glv202.
Whitson HE, Duan-Porter W, Schmader KE, Morey MC, Cohen HJ, Colón-Emeric CS. Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Apr;71(4):489–95.
Whitson, Heather E., et al. “Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct.J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, vol. 71, no. 4, Apr. 2016, pp. 489–95. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/gerona/glv202.
Whitson HE, Duan-Porter W, Schmader KE, Morey MC, Cohen HJ, Colón-Emeric CS. Physical Resilience in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Development of an Emerging Construct. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Apr;71(4):489–495.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci

DOI

EISSN

1758-535X

Publication Date

April 2016

Volume

71

Issue

4

Start / End Page

489 / 495

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Resilience, Psychological
  • Physical Fitness
  • Humans
  • Gerontology
  • Aging
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aged
  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • 42 Health sciences