Discussion
One of the objectives of the present study was to validate the gerontographics model and its measures. Consistent with the results of studies in the United States, the present study reveals also two relatively uncorrelated measures of ageing processes (Table II) (roughly similar correlations were revealed in using either factor scores or raw scores). Furthermore, this study confirms the validity of the ageing measures of gerontographics as they relate to other objective measures of ageing. These findings support a basic premise of the gerontographics model–i.e., that people in later life go through different stages as they experience different types of ageing, as shown in Figure 1.
As with previous studies in the United States, the items developed to measure three main ageing processes appear to measure only two such processes (psychosocial and biophysical), with those items designed to tap psychological and social ageing likely measuring the same latent factor. Although the two ageing processes may not occur concurrently, it is possible people may begin experiencing psychological ageing in anticipation of many life events that signify transition into old-age roles (e.g., retirement, ‘empty nest’). Longitudinal data would be ideal in validating the internalisation of gerontographics as related to the ageing processes.
