%0 Journal Article %J J Aging Health %D 2001 %T Valuation of life: a concept and a scale. %A Lawton, M. Powell %A Moss, Miriam %A Hoffman, Christine %A Kleban, Morton H. %A Ruckdeschel, Katy %A Winter, Laraine %K Factor Analysis, Statistical %K Humans %K Psychometrics %K Quality of Life %K United States %X

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to derive and test the psychometric characteristics of a scale to measure Valuation of Life (VOL).

METHODS: Four samples were used in successive phases of exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity testing, and exploration of response-error effects. Estimates of Years of Desired Life were obtained under a variety of hypothetical quality-of-life (QOL)-compromising conditions of poor health.

RESULTS: Confirmed 13-item (Positive VOL) and 6-item (Negative VOL) factors were obtained. A significant relationship between VOL and most Years of Desired Life estimates remained when demographic, health, quality of life, and mental health measures were controlled. Analysis of Negative VOL revealed that some respondents misunderstand the meaning of an agree response to negatively phrased items.

DISCUSSION: VOL is a cognitive-affective schema whose function as a mediator and moderator between health and end-of-life decisions deserves further research.

%B J Aging Health %I 13 %V 13 %P 3-31 %8 2001 Feb %G eng %N 1 %L pubs_2001_Lawton_etal.pdf %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11503845?dopt=Abstract %4 Longevity/quality of life %$ 16260 %R 10.1177/089826430101300101 %0 Report %D 1995 %T Emotional Health Status and Quality of Life Measures in the Health and Retirement Study %A Glicksman, Allen %A Lawton, M. Powell %A Kleban, Morton H. %A Brown-Glaude, Winnifred %K Health Conditions and Status %G eng %4 Health Status/Quality of Life %$ 6542 %0 Book Section %B Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics: Focus on Kinship, Aging, and Social Change %D 1993 %T Intergenerational Transfers: Economic, Demographic, and Social Perspectives %A Beth J Soldo %A Martha S. Hill %E Maddox, George L. %E Lawton, M. Powell %K Adult children %K Healthcare %K Methodology %X Intergenerational transfers can be studied from an economic, social gerontological, or social-psychological perspective. This chapter describes a variety of the social science theories and reviews related empirical research relevant to the major types of intergenerational transfers: a) flows of assistance from parents to children and grandchildren, b) flows of assistance from middle-aged children to elderly parents, c) coresidence of parents and children. While there seems to be remarkable consensus about the factors affecting the probability of exchange, because the various disciplines have focused on different aspects of exchange behavior at different points in the life cycle, the evidence in support of competing theories is not consistent. The chapter then focuses on the upcoming availability of the HRS and AHEAD studies as potentially providing the data necessary to capturing all of the relevant dimensions of transfer behaviors that have been missing for all disciplines. %B Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics: Focus on Kinship, Aging, and Social Change %I Springer Publishing Company %C New York %V Vol. 13 %P 187-216 %G eng %4 Family transfers, structure/Caregiving/HRS content and design/Transfers/Adult Children/Parent Child Relations %$ 8222 %+ HRS and AHEAD %6 Chapter 9 %! Intergenerational Transfers: Economic, Demographic, and Social Perspectives