Approximately 42% of older adults experience at least one geriatric syndrome. Meaning in life is essential in maintaining quality of life and well-being of older adults. This study aimed to develop a model illustrating the relationships between geriatric syndromes and meaning in life. The study included 386 community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. In the geriatric syndromes model, nutritional status positively correlated with cognitive function and hand-grip strength (HGS). Depression negatively correlated with cognitive function, while cognitive function and HGS were mutually associated. In the meaning-in-life model based on geriatric syndromes, meaning in life was negatively associated with depression and positively associated with cognitive function and nutritional status. Cognitive function correlated with most of the variables. Overall, cognitive function, nutritional status, and depression demonstrated a significant correlation with perceived meaning in life. Cognitive functioning emerged as a central indicator of geriatric syndromes, substantially affecting meaning in life among older adults.
Keywords: Geriatric syndromes; Meaning in life; Older adults; Structural equation modeling.
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