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Background <p>As global life expectancy increases and later life occupies a greater proportion of the lifespan, ageism has emerged as an important social determinant of health. Although studies have shown that ageism experienced by older adults, whether directed at them by others or internalized toward themselves, is associated with poorer health, little is known about whether ageist attitudes held by non-older adults are related to the health of those who express them. We examined a theoretically informed hypothesis that, among middle-aged adults, stronger ageist attitudes toward older adults are associated with poorer mental health through more negative subjective views on aging.</p> Methods <p>We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of 1,213 adults aged 40–59&#xa0;years in Japan. Other-directed ageism was assessed using the Japanese short form of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA). Subjective views on aging were assessed using the short form of the Awareness of Age-Related Change Scale (AARC). Mental health was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8). Path analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations between FSA and both K6 and SSS-8 via the AARC.</p> Results <p>Higher FSA-avoidance scores were indirectly associated with higher K6 and SSS-8 scores through lower AARC-gains and higher AARC-losses, and were also directly associated with both outcomes independent of AARC. FSA-antipathy and discrimination subscale was associated with AARC and showed indirect associations with mental health indicators through AARC; however, its direct and total associations with K6 and SSS-8 were not statistically significant in the mutually adjusted subscale model. FSA-antilocution showed limited associations with AARC and mental health indicators.</p> Conclusions <p>Among middle-aged adults, some aspects of other-directed ageism, particularly avoidance, were associated with more negative subjective views on aging and poorer mental health. The findings suggest that subjective views on aging may be one pathway linking other-directed ageism with mental health, while the association between avoidant attitudes and mental health was not fully accounted for by subjective views on aging. These results suggest the relevance of addressing ageism not only to protect older adults but also as part of public health and health promotion efforts in aging societies.</p>

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Associations between other-directed ageism, subjective views on aging, and mental health among middle-aged Japanese adults: a cross-sectional path analysis

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月21日

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  • Riho Tomozawa,
  • Rikuya Hosokawa

摘要

Background

As global life expectancy increases and later life occupies a greater proportion of the lifespan, ageism has emerged as an important social determinant of health. Although studies have shown that ageism experienced by older adults, whether directed at them by others or internalized toward themselves, is associated with poorer health, little is known about whether ageist attitudes held by non-older adults are related to the health of those who express them. We examined a theoretically informed hypothesis that, among middle-aged adults, stronger ageist attitudes toward older adults are associated with poorer mental health through more negative subjective views on aging.

Methods

We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of 1,213 adults aged 40–59 years in Japan. Other-directed ageism was assessed using the Japanese short form of the Fraboni Scale of Ageism (FSA). Subjective views on aging were assessed using the short form of the Awareness of Age-Related Change Scale (AARC). Mental health was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8). Path analysis was conducted to evaluate the associations between FSA and both K6 and SSS-8 via the AARC.

Results

Higher FSA-avoidance scores were indirectly associated with higher K6 and SSS-8 scores through lower AARC-gains and higher AARC-losses, and were also directly associated with both outcomes independent of AARC. FSA-antipathy and discrimination subscale was associated with AARC and showed indirect associations with mental health indicators through AARC; however, its direct and total associations with K6 and SSS-8 were not statistically significant in the mutually adjusted subscale model. FSA-antilocution showed limited associations with AARC and mental health indicators.

Conclusions

Among middle-aged adults, some aspects of other-directed ageism, particularly avoidance, were associated with more negative subjective views on aging and poorer mental health. The findings suggest that subjective views on aging may be one pathway linking other-directed ageism with mental health, while the association between avoidant attitudes and mental health was not fully accounted for by subjective views on aging. These results suggest the relevance of addressing ageism not only to protect older adults but also as part of public health and health promotion efforts in aging societies.