Strategies for Successful Ageing Living Alone

The purpose of this qualitative study, conducted in Thailand, was to identify strategies for older adults to live alone happily, with dignity, security, and independence. Purposive sampling techniques were used to recruit participants from 12 provinces throughout Thailand. The sample included three groups： older Thai people living alone （n = 1,087）, clinician who working with Thai older adults （n = 149）, and administrators working in aged care and support services in Thailand （n = 83）. Data were collected using structured interview guides. Content analysis was used to identify and develop the study findings. Most of the older Thai people living alone were single, widowed or divorced with few wanting to remain living alone. The large majority of participants needed government assistance to manage their activities of daily living including access to health and public services. Participants wanted aged care and support services to assist with their living arrangements, organise community activities, and provide home visits. Moreover, they wanted their families to visit them and provide financial support and care for them when they were ill. These older adults experienced living alone positively and negatively. Some participants felt proud, dignified, and independent. Other participants felt that living alone resulted in poorer health status, particularly emotional problems, especially for those who were not living alone by choice. These participants reported feeling lonely, bored, irritated, sad, and sorrowful. This group of older Thai adults had limited interaction with their families and the wider community. From this study, four strategies were identified to assist older Thai adults to live alone happily, safely and with a sense of dignity, security, and value. These strategies are： ensuring individual choice, maintaining family support, developing community value, and advocating for over-arching government policy support of aged care. A high number of older adults live alone in Thailand and this presents a big challenge for both these individuals and the community in which they live. If this important group in Thai society is to live alone happily and successfully, it needs to be additional assistance to ensure they are supported by families, communities, and government departments.

Factors related to successful aging among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China

Objectives:To examine the level of successful aging and the relationship between successful aging and activities of daily living(ADL),life satisfaction,social support,income,and self-efficacy among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China.Methods:A descriptive correlational design was applied.Subjects were community-dwelling elderly in 4 districts of Wenzhou,China.Simple random sampling was used to recruit 83 participants.All participants were screened using the Mini-Cog tool.Data were collected using 6 questionnaires such as a demographic questionnaire,the Successful Aging Inventory(SAI),the Barthel Index for ADL,the Satisfaction With Life Scale(SWLS),the Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS),and the General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES).Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis.Results:The results showed that 53%of the participants had a higher level of successful aging and 43.4%had a moderate level of successful aging with a mean score of 56.76(standard deviation[SD]=12.31).Factors such as elderly income(r=0.73,P<0.001)and self-efficacy(r=0.72,P<0.001)had high correlations with successful aging,whereas ADL(r=0.67,P<0.001),life satisfaction(r=0.63,P<0.001),and social support(r=0.36,P<0.001)had moderate correlations with successful aging.Conclusions:There was a significant positive correlation between successful aging and ADL,life satisfaction,social support,income,and self-efficacy among community-dwelling elderly in Wenzhou,China.The findings may guide the formulation of more effective health education and intervention measures to improve successful aging among the elderly.

The Status and Associated Factors of Successful Aging among Older Adults Residing in Longevity Areas in China

Objective This study aims to assess the status of successful aging （SA） in longevity areas in China and explore multiple factors associated with SA among the young-old and oldest-old. Methods A total of 2296 elderly people aged 65 and older were interviewed in the longevity areas sub-sample of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey （CLHLS） in 2012. Baseline assessments included a researcher-administered questionnaire, physical examination, and laboratory testing. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with SA. Results The prevalence of SA was 38.81% in the CLHLS in 2012. There were significant differences between ages groups, with SA compromising 56.85% among _〉65 years group and 20.31% among 〉100 years group （X2trend=126.73, P〈O.01）. The prevalence of SA among females was 33.59%, which was significantly lower than that among males （45.58%） （X2gender=33.65, P〈0.05）. In the regression analysis, having anemia ~OR=0.744, 95% CI： 0.609-0.910）, poor lifestyle （OR=0.697, 95% CI： 0.568-0.854）, poor sleep quality （OR=0.558, 95% CI： 0.456-0.682）, and central obesity （OR=0.684, 95% CI： 0.556-0.841） were the main factors associated with SA. The promoting SA rate decreased as age increased, and the group of 65-79 years had higher odds than the other age group. Conclusion Preventing central obesity, improving sleep quality and promoting healthy lifestyle may contribute to achieve SA among the elderly.

Can subjective sleep quality, evaluated at the age of 73, have an influence on successful aging? The PROOF study

Objective: Sleep complaints are recurrent in Geriatrics and are often attributed to physiological aging. The aim of this work is to describe subjective sleep quality and its impact on successful aging. Methods: Subjective sleep quality was evaluated by using the Pittsburgh subjective sleep quality questionnaire. Two visual analogical scales (graduate from 0 to 10) were used to quantify perceived state of health and life satisfaction. Objective respiratory sleep parameters were also collected. Results: 370 data were analysed (46.2% of males). The average age was 73.2 +/- 1. The level of perceived state of health was 6.9 +/- 2, and life satisfaction level was 7.7 +/-2. Subjective sleep quality was significantly related to perceived health status (p = 0.034) and life satisfaction (p = 0.005). There was no significant association between sleep quality and objective respiratory sleep parameters. Conclusion: The assessment of sleep quality plays an important role in the management of elderly persons and can help them to age more successfully.

Factors influencing successful aging in middle-aged and older adults in developing countries: a meta-analysis

Background:The successful aging of middle-aged and older adults in developing countries is still in the exploratory stage.This paper aims to understand the current situation of successful aging of middle-aged and older adults in developing countries and systematically evaluate the factors influencing successful aging of middle-aged and older adults in developing countries.Methods:We searched databases including PubMed,Embase,the Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,CBM,WanFang Data Knowledge Service Platform and VIP from inception to April 30,2021.RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.Results:Fourteen studies were included and 17 related risk factors were analyzed.The statistically significant influence factors were gender(odds ratio(OR)=1.37,95%confidenceinterval(CI):1.09~1.71),age>75 years(OR=0.46,95%CI:0.31~0.68),education level(OR=3.24,95%CI:1.84~5.70),Cohabiting with a partner(OR=0.17,95%CI:0.11~0.24),domicile(OR=2.60,95%CI:1.07~6.29),self-rated health(OR=3.15,95%CI:2.33~4.24),income(OR=1.72,95%CI:1.04~2.86),smoking(OR=1.33,95%CI:1.16~1.53),alcohol intake(OR=1.61,95%CI:1.09~2.37),body pain(OR=0.28,95%CI:0.09~0.84),hearing impaired(OR=0.28,95%CI:0.13~0.59),physical exercise(OR=1.46,95%CI:1.24~1.73),eating pattern(OR=1.47,95%CI:1.19~1.80),sleep disorder(OR=0.49,95%CI:0.27~0.89).Sensitivity analysis results show that the results of meta-analysis are stable.Conclusion:Current evidence shows that men living in cities and towns,living with their spouse,good financial status,high educational level,self-rated health,low alcohol consumption,physical exercise and regular diet are beneficial to the successful aging of middle-aged and older adults factor.For ages over 75 years old,five factors,such as long-term smoking,physical pain,hearing impairment and sleep disturbance are the unfavorable factors that hinder successful aging.

Reasons why older adults play sport:A systematic review

Background:Despite the known contribution of sport to health and well-being,sport participation declines in older age.However,for some people,sport continues to play an important role in older age and may contribute to improved health and well-being in older years.Although the health-related benefits of participating in sport are commonly reported,the reasons why some older adults continue to play sport are not well understood.This systematic review aimed to(1)identify studies from the literature that evaluated the reasons why older adults(aged 55 years and older)participate in sport and(2)synthesize and discuss the reasons for their participation reported in the literature.Methods:Searches of the electronic databases Embase,Medline,PsycInfo,PubMed,and SPORTDiscus were performed.Studies were included that evaluated reasons for sport participation in adults aged 55 years and older because this is the age at which sport participation has been reported to begin declining.The studies included in this review used qualitative,quantitative,or mixed methods designs,were peer reviewed,and were published in the English language before the search date(20 January 2019).Results:A total of 1732 studies were identified.After exclusions,30 studies were included in the review(16 qualitative,10 quantitative,and 4 mixed methods).The review presents several features and findings from the studies,including a description and systematization of the reasons for participating in sport and the main reasons that participants gave for participating in sport(maintaining health,feeling and being part of a community,and taking advantage of opportunities to develop relationships).Other reasons included competing and attaining a feeling of achievement,taking advantage of opportunities for travel,and being part of a team.Sport was identified as contributing to the overall experience of successful ageing.There were few comparative differences for participating in sport,and there were only small differences between genders for the reasons given for participation.Generally,the quality of the studies was good;however,mixed methods studies lacked appropriate data analysis procedures.Conclusion:Older adults play sport for a range of health-related and social reasons that can contribute to the experience of successful ageing.Strategies to increase sport participation by older adults should focus on promoting these aspects.

The Chinese response to the challenges of aging

The burden of support for the elderly, intergenemfional relationships and value realization constitute three vital factors that will shape China＇s sustainable development in the future. These three issues translate themselves into the problem of ＂fewer producers and more consumers＂ in the field of economics, or intergenerational conflicts over distribution of resources and power and the issue of old people＇s value realization in the field of sociology. From the perspective of demography, old persons who are vulnerable as a result of family planning occupy an ever increasing proportion of the population, and China can expect to see a large number of ＂elderly people affected by family planning.＂ This concept has been formulated to draw the attention of government and government departments at all levels to the public benefit and welfare character of public services in population and family planning. Aging poses long-term and diverse challenges to a China that is getting old before it gets rich. In response to such challenges, this paper proposes a strategy of ＂successful aging＂ that foresees an old age of health, activity, harmony and happiness. In responding to population aging and the challenges it poses, Chinese society has developed a unique approach that combines tradition with modem elements. This approach may be summarized as being based on old age support by families, work units （collectives） and self-help, supplemented by the community, social welfare and philanthropy. The paper concludes with a brief review of the contributions in this special issue within the framework of＂China＇s problem and China＇s choices.＂