Socio-economic position and quality of life among older people in 10 European countries: results of the SHARE study

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
OLAF VON DEM KNESEBECK ◽  
MORTEN WAHRENDORF ◽  
MARTIN HYDE ◽  
JOHANNES SIEGRIST
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Home Ownership ◽  
Later Life ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Car Ownership ◽  
Short Version ◽  
Net Worth ◽  
Economic Position

This study examines associations between quality of life and multiple indicators of socio-economic position among people aged 50 or more years in 10 European countries, and analyses whether the relative importance of the socio-economic measures vary by age. The data are from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) in 2004. 15,080 cases were analysed. Quality of life was measured by a short version of the CASP-19 questionnaire, which represents quality of life as comprising four conceptual domains of individual needs that are particularly relevant in later life: control (C), autonomy (A), self-realisation (S) and pleasure (P). The short version has 12 items (three for each domain). Five indicators of socio-economic position were used: income, education, home ownership, net worth, and car ownership. A multiple logistic regression showed that quality of life was associated with socio-economic position, but that the associations varied by country. Relatively small socio-economic differences in quality of life were observed for Switzerland, but comparatively large differences in Germany. Education, income, net worth, and car ownership consistently related to quality of life, but the association of home ownership was less consistent. There was no indication that the socio-economic differences in quality of life diminished after retirement (i.e. from 65+ years). Conventional measures of socio-economic position (education and income), as well as alternative indicators (car ownership and household net worth), usefully identified the differential risks of poor quality of life among older people before and after the conventional retirement age.

scholarly journals Age-Friendly Approaches and Old-Age Exclusion: A Cross-City Analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tine Buffel ◽  
Samuèle Rémillard-Boilard ◽  
Kieran Walsh ◽  
Bernard McDonald ◽  
An-Sofie Smetcoren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Research Gap

Developing ‘Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC)’ has become a key part of policies aimed at improving the quality of life of older people in urban areas. Despite this development, there is evidence of rising inequalities among urban elders, and little known about the potential and limitations of the age-friendly model to reduce old-age exclusion. This article addresses this research gap by comparing how Brussels, Dublin, and Manchester, as three members of the Global Network of AFCC, have responded to social exclusion in later life. The article combines data from document analysis and stakeholder interviews to examine: first, the age-friendly approach and the goal of reducing social exclusion; and second, barriers to developing age-friendly policies as a means of addressing exclusion. The paper suggests that there are reciprocal benefits in linking age-friendly and social exclusion agendas for producing new ways of combatting unequal experiences of ageing in cities.

scholarly journals 126 Urinary Incontinence: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics and Impact on Quality of Life of Older People in Ireland

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Paul Claffey ◽  
Rachel Sullivan ◽  
Rose Anne Kenny ◽  
Triona McNicholas ◽  
Robert Briggs
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Healthcare Professional ◽  
Older People ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Everyday Activities

Abstract Background Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the ‘giants’ of gerontological care, associated with early mortality, depression and falls in later life. It is often amenable to treatment, yet clinical experience suggests that older people with urinary incontinence often go undiagnosed and therefore untreated. The aim of this study therefore was to ascertain the prevalence of UI in a large population representative sample of Irish adults ≥50 years; to examine how often participants report UI to healthcare professionals; to profile factors associated with UI and its impact on quality of life (QOL). Methods This study was embedded within the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Participants were a population-representative sample of almost 7,000 Irish adults aged ≥50 years. UI was defined as any involuntary loss of urine from the bladder within the last 12 months, based on the International Continence Society Definition. QOL was measured using the Control, Autonomy, Self-realisation and Pleasure-19 Scale (CASP-19). Results Fifteen % (1,061/6,996) of participants had UI within the last 12 months; 9% (269/3,162) of males and 21% (792/3,834) of females. Almost half (486/1,061) of participants with UI had not reported it to a healthcare professional, with one fifth (240/1,061) reporting UI limited everyday activities. Logistic regression modelling demonstrated UI was associated with advancing age, female sex, alcohol excess, polypharmacy, chronic disease and depression. Linear regression models showed that UI was associated with significantly lower self-rated QOL, as measured by CASP-19 (β =-1.13 (95% CI: -1.69 - -0.57), p <0.001). Conclusion UI affects 1 in 7 people aged ≥50 years. It is closely associated with other geriatric syndromes such as polypharmacy, depression and multimorbidity and impacts significantly on QOL. Despite this, almost half of those with UI do not report symptoms to a healthcare professional, highlighting the need for structured assessment of UI as part of comprehensive age-attuned care.

Measuring the quality of later life

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Bowling
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Three Samples

This chapter discusses research on quality of life in older age funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme (NDA). Definitions of quality of life in the literature are presented, followed by older people’s own definitions and priorities, which were elicited in previous research funded by the Growing Older Programme (GO). This led to the development of The Older People’s QoL (OPQOL) questionnaire, which was fully tested in the NDA programme with three samples of older people.

scholarly journals Influence of Active and Healthy Ageing on Quality of Life Changes: Insights from the Comparison of Three European Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4152
Author(s):  
Alba Ayala ◽  
Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez ◽  
Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga ◽  
Giorgi Beridze ◽  
Laetitia Teixeira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Healthy Ageing ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Active And Healthy Ageing ◽  
Health Aging ◽  
Changes Over Time

This study aimed to analyze the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in older people in three European countries (Portugal, Spain and Sweden). A sample of 7589 participants in waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, aged 50 and over and living in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, was included. The CASP-12 scale was used to measure QoL. A principal component analysis was performed to group preselected variables related to active and healthy ageing into the dimensions of health, social participation, and lifelong learning. A linear regression model was built using the change in CASP-12 scores over the 4-year follow-up as the dependent variable, including the interactions between country and each independent variable in the model. After four years, the average QoL increased in Portugal (difference = 0.8, p < 0.001), decreased in Spain (−0.8, p < 0.001), and remained constant in Sweden (0.1, p = 0.408). A significant country-participation component interaction (p = 0.039) was found. In Spain, a higher participation (β = 0.031, p = 0.002) was related to a higher QoL improvement at 4 years, but not in Sweden or Portugal. Physical health and emotional components (β = 0.099, p < 0.001), functional ability (β = 0.044, p = 0.023), and cognitive and sensory ability (β = 0.021, p = 0.026) were associated with QoL changes over time in all countries. The country-specific associations between health, social participation and QoL should be taken into account when developing public health policies to promote QoL among European older people.

The contribution of music to quality of life in older people: an Australian qualitative study

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRENCE HAYS ◽  
VICTOR MINICHIELLO
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Imaginative Play

This study examines the personal meaning and importance of music in the lives of older people, paying particular attention to the ways in which music contributes to self-identity and the quality of life. The data derive from qualitative interviews with a sample of older Australians aged 65 years and over who live in rural and urban settings. The findings reveal that music provides people with ways of understanding and developing their self-identity, of connecting with other people, of maintaining wellbeing and of experiencing and expressing spirituality, and that it provides strong associations with and memories of a person's life. Specifically, the results show how music is used as a source of entertainment as well as a forum to share and interact with others. Music was described as a personal experience to which people assigned meaning and emotions. The informants also described how music allowed them to engage in imaginative play and to escape from some of the hardships experienced in later life. The results reveal that music promotes quality of life by contributing to positive self-esteem, by helping people feel competent and independent, and by lessening feelings of isolation and loneliness. The paper argues that music can be used to maintain and promote a better quality of life for older people.

Mental health, psychological well-being, successful ageing and quality of life

2020 ◽  
pp. 33-52
Author(s):  
Alisoun Milne
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Older People ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Successful Ageing ◽  
The Core ◽  
Good Mental Health

Positive mental health is a prerequisite for a good quality of life across the whole lifespan. It is an overarching concept, which intersects with a number of related concepts, psychological wellbeing, successful ageing and quality of life. Good mental health is increasingly understood as a combination of an individual’s personality, environment and lifecourse; it is also dynamic. Older people consider it to be characterised by: a sense of wellbeing, capacity to make and sustain relationships, ability to meet the challenges which later life brings, and ability to contribute both economically and socially. Mental health is viewed as equally important as physical health. Research identifies the core dimensions of mental health, and its sister concepts, as: resilience, remaining active and involved, having a purpose or role, being able to engage in social relationships, independence, keeping fit, having an adequate income, autonomy and self-efficacy. Survey evidence consistently shows that more than 85 per cent of older people have ‘good’ quality of life. One of the challenges of assessing and measuring quality of life, and related constructs, is capturing the intersection between the subjective and the objective. The promotion of mental health is increasingly recognised as a legitimate goal of social policy.

scholarly journals An Activity Program for Older People

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akehsan Dahlan ◽  
Syamsul Anwar Sultan Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Control Group ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
Open Access Article

Older people in an institution live in a sedentary lifestyle. They lose their autonomy, seldom engage in activities and did not have a meaningful social relationship. These issues lead to decreased in quality of life (QoL). The aim of this randomised trial is to determine the effectiveness of a lifestyle redesign programme, i.e. the Lively Later Life Programme (3LP) on QoL. Eighty-two older people who fit the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to the 3LP group and the control group. At the end of six months, there is a significant change in physical, psychological and social domains of QoL.Keywords: Older people; quality of life; activities; lifestyle.2398-4279 © 2017 The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, UniversitiTeknologi MARA, Malaysia.

The Quality of Life of Older People With a Disability in Ireland

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Murphy ◽  
Eamon O'Shea ◽  
Adeline Cooney ◽  
Dympna Casey
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People

Financial Interdependence among Malay Older People in the Community: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Ahmad Shahir Abdul Mutalib ◽  
Akehsan Haji Dahlan ◽  
Ajau Danis
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older People ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Publishing House ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
International Publishing ◽  
Open Access Article

This study explores the practice of financial interdependence among Malay older people who live in the community in Malaysia. Eleven Malay older people participated in this qualitative study by an in-depth interview. The data was analyzed using six stages of the interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two main themes emerged from the interview transcripts are issues regarding living expenses and financial assistance. Financial interdependence is one of the most effective ways for the Malay older people in the community in Malaysia to adapt their retired status, to achieve maximum life satisfaction and productivity thereby improving their overall quality of life.Keywords: Financial interdependence, Older people, Quality of life, Interpretative phenomenological analysisISSN: 2398-4287© 2017. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

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