Abstract
Scientific literature indicates that subjective age is associated with health and well-being, but less is known with the directionality of this association. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of subjective health on subjective age; specifically, we examined whether poorer self-rated health influences felt age over time. This study was based on three waves (2008, 2012, and 2016) of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Growth curve models were estimated for subjective age trajectories, and we examined how self-rated health at baseline is associated with subjective age at baseline and over time. Adults who reported poorer health felt nearly 4 years older than those with better health. Over time, subjective age decreased by 0.27 years per chronological year among individuals with poorer health in comparison with those with better health. Findings suggest that the perception an individual has about their health dramatically impacts their subjective age. Even though the gap in subjective age between those with poorer and better health reduces overtime, the difference persists. Those individuals who perceived their health as poorer have a higher subjective age than those with better health at baseline and overtime.