Activity limitations can diminish life satisfaction. This study explored the role of optimism on the relationship between changes in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) limitations and life satisfaction over time among middle-aged and older adults. Growth curve modeling accounting for intra- and inter-individual changes in life satisfaction was applied to the 2008-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study Leave Behind Survey subsample (n = 39,122 person-years). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, physical functioning decline adversely affected life satisfaction (βADL = -0.12, βIADL = -0.13, p < 0.001), but the negative consequences reduced slightly through optimism (βADL = -0.11, βIADL = -0.12, βoptimism = 0.47, p < 0.001). Increasing optimism could reduce the negative consequences of ADL/IADL limitations on life satisfaction among middle-aged to older adults.
Keywords: Activity limitation; activities of daily living; instrumental activities of daily living; life satisfaction; optimism.