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

Publisher: MDPI Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101238455 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1660-4601 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 16604601 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Environ Res Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Basel : MDPI, c2004-

Healthy Aging* ; Quality of Life*; Aged ; Europe ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Portugal ; Spain ; Sweden

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.

Qual Life Res. 2019 Feb;28(2):429-439. (PMID: 30209723)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Sep 11;17(18):. (PMID: 32932768)
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016 Jan;71(1):106-11. (PMID: 25315158)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 04;17(23):. (PMID: 33291547)
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020 Sep - Oct;90:104114. (PMID: 32526561)
Prev Med. 2020 Jun;135:106073. (PMID: 32243939)
Eur J Ageing. 2012 May 24;9(3):255-263. (PMID: 28804425)
Int J Epidemiol. 2013 Aug;42(4):992-1001. (PMID: 23778574)
J Psychol. 2012 Jan-Apr;146(1-2):201-28. (PMID: 22303621)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 20;17(22):. (PMID: 33233793)
Eur J Public Health. 2021 Jul 13;31(3):541-547. (PMID: 33547475)
Aging Ment Health. 2018 May;22(5):700-708. (PMID: 28282724)
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 21;17(24):. (PMID: 33371404)
Age Ageing. 2014 May;43(3):431-6. (PMID: 24476800)
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006 Apr;60(4):357-63. (PMID: 16537355)
Aging Male. 2002 Mar;5(1):1-37. (PMID: 12040973)
Qual Life Res. 2017 Apr;26(4):1059-1070. (PMID: 27766517)

P01 AG005842 United States AG NIA NIH HHS; R21 AG025169 United States AG NIA NIH HHS; HHSN271201300071C United States AG NIA NIH HHS

Keywords: SHARE project; aging; cross-national; longitudinal; participation; quality of life

Date Created: 20210430 Date Completed: 20210524 Latest Revision: 20240401

20240401

PMC8070976

10.3390/ijerph18084152

33919964