BACKGROUND: Especially among older adults, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic poses a challenge to day-to-day functioning and emotional and physical health. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze gender differences in state anxiety, daily functional self-actualization, and functional cognition and relationships among those factors in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: We collected online data from a sample of 204 people (102 men and 102 women) aged 60 years and older. In addition to a demographic questionnaire, we used the State-Trait Personality Inventory to assess state anxiety, Daily Functional Actualization questionnaire to evaluate daily functional self-actualization, and Daily Living Questionnaire (DLQ) to measure functional cognition. RESULTS: Significant gender differences were found for state anxiety, t202=-2.36, P=.02; daily functional self-actualization, t202=2.15, P=.03; and the functional cognition components: complex tasks, Z=-3.07, P=.002; cognitive symptoms that might be interfering, Z=-2.15, P=.028; executive functions, Z=-2.21, P=.024; and executive function monitoring, Z=-2.21, P=.027. Significant medium correlations were found between both state anxiety level and daily functional self-actualization (r=-.62, P<.001) and functional cognition (r=.37-.40, P<.001). Gender predicted 3%, while daily functional self-actualization predicted 41%, and complex activities (DLQ) an additional 3% of the variance in state anxiety level, F3,202=9.57, P=.01. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults, anxiety is associated with cognitive decline, which may harm daily functional abilities and lead to social isolation, loneliness, and decreased well-being. Self-awareness and knowledge of gender differences and relationships between common available resources of daily functional self-actualization and functional cognition with anxiety may be strengthening factors in crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Anxiety Related to Daily Function Among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are There Gender Differences?