The Definition and Categories of Positive Solitude: Older and Younger Adults’ Perspectives on Spending Time by Themselves

Author(s):  
Sharon Ost Mor ◽  
Yuval Palgi ◽  
Dikla Segel-Karpas

This paper attempts to develop a better understanding of the positive solitude (PS) phenomenon and its meaning among age groups, as well as formulate a unanimous definition for PS. A qualitative study ( N = 124) was conducted. Participants were gerontology professionals and laypeople. Interviews were conducted and content was analyzed in order to understand the essence of PS, themes, and subthemes. Two major categories were found: the essence and the components of the PS experience. Seven PS content categories and three meta-themes were raised: (1) PS is a matter of choice; (2) PS is satisfying and enjoyable; and (3) PS is meaningful. Differences in PS categories between younger and older adults were found. The meta-themes served as the foundation of a new definition. PS has different attributes in old age. A unified definition of PS may help distinguishing between PS and other forms of being alone. Recognizing and facilitating the PS experience among older adults might be beneficial and contribute to their quality of life.

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (S) ◽  
pp. 872-878
Author(s):  
Fatima Javed Saleem ◽  
Farhat Jamil ◽  
Ruhi Khalid

Background: Healthy eating is essential for individuals’ physical as well as psychological wellbeing. Women’s focus on achieving thin ideal physique and men’s aspiration for muscular body is likely to impact their food intake and consequently Nutritional Quality of Life (NQoL). Moreover, NQoL varies across different age groups owing to the varying nutritional needs with increasing age. Investigating NQoL across gender and age has useful implications for health counseling and practice. Objectives| To investigate differences in nutritional quality of life among gender and different age groups. To investigate gender and age group differences in knowledge of nutritional value of food. Methodology| A descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted. The sample consisted of 200 participants i.e., 100 younger adults between age range of 18-23 years and 100 older adults between age range of 40-60 years. Gender of participants was equally represented in both age groups. Nutritional Quality of Life (NQoL) Instrument and a self-developed Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire were administered on the sample to collect data. Results| Mean age of younger adults was 19.17 ± 1.18 and for older adults it was 48.17 ± 5.20. Findings showed that women scored significantly higher on psychological factor and social impact whereas men scored significantly higher on food impact and self-efficacy impact of NQoL. Moreover younger adults scored higher on self-efficacy than older adults and older adults scored higher on food impact, social impact, psychological factor and physical functioning than younger adults. Also interaction of gender and age was significant regarding knowledge of nutritional value of food; older women and younger men had more knowledge of nutritional value of food than younger women and older men. Conclusions| There were significant differences in nutritional quality of life. Also knowledge of nutritional value of food varied across gender and age groups.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Emília Martins ◽  
Rosina Fernandes ◽  
Francisco Mendes ◽  
Cátia Magalhães ◽  
Patrícia Araújo

BACKGROUND: The health-related quality of life construct (QoL) implies a relationship with eating habits (EA) and physical activity (PA). Sociodemographic and anthropometric variables (gender, age and Body Mass Index - BMI) are highlighted in the definition of healthy lifestyle habits promotion strategies. OBJECTIVE: We aim to characterize and relate PA, EA and QoL in children/youth and explore gender, age and BMI influences. METHODS: It is a non-experimental study, with 337 children/youth, ages between 8 and 17 years (12.61±2.96), mostly from the rural inland of Portugal. In data collection we used a sociodemographic and anthropometric questionnaire, a weekly register table of EA and Kid-Kindl (QoL). Statistical analysis (p <  0.05) were performed in SPSS-IBM 25. RESULTS: Lower BMI was associated with better EA (p <  0.001), PA (p <  0.05) and self-esteem (p <  0.01) and worse scores on family subscale of QoL. Female showed higher fruit intake (p <  0.05). The older has shown better results. PA is positively correlated with QoL (p <  0.01) and EA (p <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to explore other relevant social and family dimensions, to promote intervention programs with parents, school and community, as well as healthy practices policies. The intervention in these age groups is critical for a longer-term impact in improving healthy life habits.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2850
Author(s):  
Amparo Oliver ◽  
Trinidad Sentandreu-Mañó ◽  
José M. Tomás ◽  
Irene Fernández ◽  
Patricia Sancho

CASP-12 (Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure scale) is one of the most common internationally used measures for quality of life in older adults, although its structure is not clearly established. Current research aims to test the factor structure of the CASP-12, so as to provide evidence on reliability and external validity, and to test for measurement invariance across age groups. Data from 61,355 Europeans (≥60 years old) from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe wave 7 were used. CASP-12, EURO-D (European depression scale), self-perceived health, and life satisfaction measurements were included. Reliability and validity coefficients, competing confirmatory factor models, and standard measurement invariance routine were estimated. A second-order factor model with the original factor structure was retained. The scale showed adequate reliability coefficients except for the autonomy dimension. The correlation coefficients for external validity were all statistically significant. Finally, CASP-12 is scalar invariant across age. We conclude that the best-fitting factor structure retained allows using CASP-12 either by factors, or as an overall score, depending on the research interests. Findings related to CASP-12 measurement invariance encourage its use in the oldest-old too. When comparing the dimensions across age groups, as people age, autonomy slightly increases and the rest of the dimensions decline.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Grace Prost ◽  
Meghan A. Novisky

Purpose The purpose of this paper aims to examine differences in measures of and relationships between visitation and quality of life (QOL) among older and younger jailed adults. The authors also explored the contribution of visitation to QOL among adults in this setting. The authors anticipated fewer visits and lower QOL among older adults. Framed by psychosocial developmental theory, the authors also anticipated a larger effect in the relationship between visitation and QOL among older rather than younger adults and that visitation would contribute most readily to psychological QOL. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data from a large US jail were used (n = 264). The authors described the sample regarding visitation and QOL measures among older (≥45) and younger adults (≤44) and examined differences in measures of and relationships between visitation and QOL using independent sample t-tests and bivariate analyses. The authors explored the contribution of visitation to psychological, social relationships, physical and environmental QOL among jailed adults using hierarchical multiple linear regression. Findings Older adults had fewer family visits and lower physical QOL than younger adults, disparities were moderate in effect (d range = 0.33–0.35). A significant difference also emerged between groups regarding the visitation and environmental QOL relationship (z = 1.66, p <0.05). Visitation contributed to variation in physical and social relationships QOL among jailed adults (Beta range = 0.19–0.24). Originality/value Limited research exists among jailed older adults and scholars have yet to examine the relationship between visitation and QOL among persons in these settings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasheeda K. Hall ◽  
Michael P. Cary ◽  
Tiffany R. Washington ◽  
Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric

Abstract Purpose Patient priorities for quality of life change with age. We conducted a qualitative study to identify quality of life themes of importance to older adults receiving dialysis and the extent to which these are represented in existing quality of life instruments. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 adults aged ≥ 75 years receiving hemodialysis to elicit participant perspectives on what matters most to them in life. We used framework analysis methodology to process interview transcripts (coding, charting, and mapping), identify major themes, and compare these themes by participant frailty status. We examined for representation of our study’s subthemes in the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) instruments. Results Among the 12 participants, average age was 81 (4.2) years, 7 African-American, 6 women, and 6 met frailty criteria. We identified two major quality of life themes: (1) having physical well-being (subthemes: being able to do things independently, having symptom control, maintaining physical health, and being alive) and (2) having social support (subthemes: having practical social support, emotional social support, and socialization). Perspectives on the subthemes often varied by frailty status. For example, being alive meant surviving from day-to-day for frail participants, but included a desire for new life experiences for non-frail participants. The majority of the subthemes did not correspond with domains in the KDQOL-36 and WHOQOL-OLD instruments. Conclusion Novel instruments are likely needed to elicit the dominant themes of having physical well-being and having social support identified by older adults receiving dialysis.


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 512
Author(s):  
Carmen Cipriano-Crespo ◽  
Marta Rodríguez-Hernández ◽  
Pablo Cantero-Garlito ◽  
Lorenzo Mariano-Juárez

Background: Disability causes changes in the eating process, which is central to the definition of each individual’s social and psychological spaces. Methods: This is a qualitative study based on grounded theory. Interviews were carried out in clinical hospital settings and headquarters of several disability organisations. The study included 27 individuals, aged between 18–75 years. All participants had a disability that caused a functional deficiency in the occupational aspects of the eating process. Results: The respondents’ narratives were analysed through observations made in different contexts, allowing us to describe and understand the significance attributed by the participants to their reality and experiences. Three key themes emerged from the analysis: (1) waning bodies (assumption of a diminished corporality); (2) redefinition of food-related social spaces; and (3) perceived burdensomeness, shame, and loneliness. Conclusions: Assisted feeding tends to prioritise the nutritional component of food ingestion. However, cultural, social, and contextual factors have a critical impact on an individual’s well-being and quality of life. This study stresses the importance of re-addressing intervention models affecting differently-abled people and incorporating approaches that take into account the contextual aspects of occupational therapy.


Author(s):  
Garima Gupta ◽  
Deepa Luxmi Sharma

The present chapter presents an intertwined view on aging, quality of life and social support. Aging is a sensitive process of transformation from a young age structure to old age. It is a pressing problem for many countries in this century. Therefore, attention to needs and problems of this age has an importance. The domains that need more attention in elderly is both quality of life and social support in their life. Though social support and quality of life have received much attention in studies of the psychological issues of older adults but still researches are needed in special attention at the intervention level.


Heart & Lung ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin E. Sandau ◽  
Barbara A. Hoglund ◽  
Carrie E. Weaver ◽  
Charlene Boisjolie ◽  
David Feldman

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 395-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Alea ◽  
Mary Jane Arneaud ◽  
Sideeka Ali

The quality of functional autobiographical memories was examined in young, middle-aged, and older adult Trinidadians ( N = 245). Participants wrote about an event that served a self, social, and directive function, and reported on the memory’s quality (e.g., significance, vividness, valence, etc.). Across age groups, directive memories were the most negative, and social function memories were the most positive. Social function memories were also talked about most. Compared to younger adults, older adults’ functional memories, regardless of the type of function, were positive and talked about often, and middle-aged adults’ memories were significant and vivid. The discussion encourages researchers to continue to simultaneously consider both why humans remember so much of their life, and what they remember when doing so.


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