Healthy aging and the University of the Third Age – Health behavior and subjective health outcomes in older adults

Introduction: By participating in the University of the Third Age (U3A), retirees are offered the opportunity for activation and development in the later years of life. However, little is known how certain aspects of healthy aging, such as health-related behavior and subjective health outcomes, differ between U3A students and other older adults not taking part in any form of education. To address this, the aim of the present study was to compare selected aspects of healthy aging in a group of U3A members with older adults not taking part in any form of lifelong learning. The study also establishes relationships between the tested variables and predictors of health behavior. Materials and methods: 277 older adults (130 U3A members and 147 non-members) aged 60–92 (M = 68.84, SD = 5.32) completed measures of health behavior, self-rated physical health, self-rated sense of own health responsibility and satisfaction with life. Results: The U3A attendees presented significantly higher scores for general health behavior and some of its components, and declared higher self-rated health than their peers not affiliated to any educational organization. Self-rated health, responsibility for health and satisfaction with life were positively correlated with general health behavior and most of their categories. but the correlation coefficients differed between both groups. A hierarchical regression model demonstrated the predictive roles of attendance in U3A, sociodemographic and subjective factors in health behavior undertaking. Conclusions: The study results may help to identify older adults who should be targeted in interventions aimed at supporting healthy aging

The need for cross-national surveys of old age; report of a conference at Copenhagen, October 19-23, 1956.

"Organized with the financial help of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences."Mode of access: Internet

Is “active ageing” more than “live longer, work longer”? European attempt’s towards “social participation” and “independent living” through the Belgian lens

Introduction : European institutions have considered “active ageing” as a policy answer to rethink ageing population since 1990’s. If the 1999 momentum opens a theoretical avenue for a holistic vision of “active ageing', policy translation reduced it to “working longer” during the 2000's.Ten years later, 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012) keeps “work longer” at the agenda but adds two other avenues for “active ageing” : “social participation” and “independent living”. Method : Financed by the Belgian Social Security for supporting the Belgian version of EY2012, we collected all belgian applications of 'active ageing' policies in early 2012. Results : The three different avenues for “active ageing” illustrates a specific national context characterized by a high institutional complexity. We show that a) “working longer” options are still numerous and mainly institutionally organized, b) “social participation” opens the more avenues for the “holistic” translation of “active ageing” with a special interest for the empowerment of older people via the emergence of a specific “Federal Consultative Board for Seniors” (Conseil Consultatif Federal des Aines) at the occasion of EY2012, many actions from older citizen groups like the Flemish Elderly Council (the Vlaamse Ouderenraad) to consider “active ageing” as a “win-win” strategy showing the diversity of elderly’s activities and the Walloon Region’s inspiration from “Age Friendly Cities” by WHO as a renewed option to organize local government policies towards ageing population, c) “independent living” refers to little innovative measures. Conclusion : Conclusion focusses on challenges and social conditions for an 'active ageing' reform

Building capacity in ageing research: Implications from a survey of emerging researchers in Australia

Objective: The National Emerging Researchers in Ageing Study (NERAS) set out to inform capacity-building efforts in ageing research. Its purpose was to identify the interest, attitudes and motives of PhD students to enter the field and factors influencing intention to remain. Method: A web-based survey was sent to 267 PhD students in ageing. It assessed attitudes towards older people and the importance of a variety of factors influencing students' interest and decision to engage in ageing research. Results: The response rate was 60% (n = 161). Positive attitudes, interest in ageing issues and concern for older people were key motivating factors to work or study in the field. Supervisors in ageing and initial interest in the field were key predictors of intention to remain in the field. Conclusions: NERAS is the first national study of emerging researchers in ageing and it provides important new knowledge with implications for capacity-building efforts