Positive ageing of low SES older adults in their community:Exploring older adults’ perspectives on health and ageing, and improving the physical, social, and mental health, as well as self-management and wellbeing of older adults with a lower socioeconomic status

What does it truly mean to age positively and healthy? And how does this definition resonate for older adults with a lower socioeconomic status? How can health interventions facilitate and bolster positive healthy ageing?The evolution from a welfare state to a participatory society requires citizens to take a proactive stance in maintaining their health and well-being. This shift poses challenges, especially for vulnerable groups like older adults with a lower socioeconomic status. This dissertation delves into the potential benefits of a novel health intervention with a community-approach named "Community Wise." It explores its impact on the physical, social, and mental health and well-being of intervention participants. The results of the intervention hint towards a subtle yet positive effect, primarily observed in the realm of social health. Utilizing photo-elicitation methods, conversations with older adults with a lower socioeconomic status shed light on their perspective on health and positive aging. The social component of health, such as contact with children or grandchildren, are not linked explicitly to health but are one of the most important contributors to well-being. The use of photo-elicitation research among older adults with a lower socioeconomic status show promising insights. It gives a voice to those often unheard, particularly those who are often underrepresented in survey research due to linguistic barriers.This dissertation draws attention to the perspective of older adults with a lower socioeconomic status in both policymaking and academic research. Furthermore, it highlights the promising potential of community-based interventions, especially when embedded by local professionals

Photo-interviews about health by older adults with a low socio-economic status

Met behulp van de foto-elicitatiemethode hebben wij, de drie auteurs van dit artikel, onderzoek gedaan naar de gezondheidspercepties van ouderen met een lage sociaaleconomische status (SES). Foto-elicitatie maakt gebruik van foto’s in kwalitatieve interviews om deelnemers aan te moedigen na te denken over een bepaald onderwerp. Het voordeel hiervan is dat foto’s – waarschijnlijk meer dan geschreven woorden – emoties, reflecties, percepties en associaties opwekken. Daarnaast is er geen hoge geletterdheid voor nodig. Naast de bevindingen van ditonderzoek bespreken we de uitdagingen van foto-elicitatie-onderzoek

Community Wise—effects and participant perceptions of a community- based -positive health intervention for older inhabitants of low SES neighbourhoods:a mixed-methods approach

Background: The Community Wise (CW) intervention applies a community-based approach to improve the physical fitness, self-management ability, loneliness, social cohesion, and well-being of older adults living in neighbourhoods characterized by lower socioeconomic status (SES).Methods: Participants (N = 108) were recruited using several strategies, including door-to-door visits and community key peers. The study was based on a pre-test/post-test design. Outcomes were assessed through mixed methods using questionnaires, performance tests, semi-structured interviews, and focus-group sessions.Results: Results showed significant improvements on aerobic endurance and shoulder flexibility, but no significant improvements on self-management ability, social cohesion, loneliness, or well-being. Qualitative data analysis did indicate that participants experienced improvements on social connectedness with members of the group, as well as on self-management ability.Conclusion: The results of the intervention seem to depend on programme fidelity and method of assessment. Adapting the intervention and including more older adults with poor health status could lead to better outcomes in the future. This results of this study should be interpreted in light of the complexity and methodological challenges of conducting a community-based health-promotion intervention for this target group