Grip strength and quality of life in the second half of life: hope as a moderator

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to investigate grip strength, hope, and their interaction as predictors of quality of life four years later in a nationally representative sample of older adults. Method: Data were derived from the first (2005-2006) and second wave (2009) of the Israeli component of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE; N = 344). Hope was measured by three items from the Hope Scale, and quality of life was measured by the CASP-12 (Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization, and Pleasure). Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results: Grip strength at T1 predicted QoL in T2, but hope was not a significant predictor. Furthermore, hope moderated the effect of handgrip on QoL, such that the effect was weaker for higher levels of hope. Conclusion: As hypothesized, hope acted as a moderator, such that poor grip strength was associated with worse QoL for less hopeful older adults, but grip strength was not associated with QoL for more hopeful older adults. Findings are consistent with a theoretical conceptualization of hope as a buffer between physical challenges and negative outcomes like QoL. Encouraging a hopeful perspective could enhance QoL for older adults with decreased muscle strength.