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From an individual's perspective, social frailty may act as a key determinant of social capital, which is essential for meeting social needs and improvement of overall wellbeing. The present study aimed to understand the social frailty and its determining factors among Indian older adults. Data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)-wave 1 was used. For the assessment of social frailty the study proposed a multidimensional Social Frailty Index (SFI) score ranging between 0 and 100 using 17 indicators. Bivariate analysis and quantile regression models were applied. The study results indicated that on average female older adults (mean SFI = 63.7) are relatively more socially frail than male older adults (mean SFI = 59.0). Further, the quantile regression analysis revealed that at the 10th, 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, female older adults were significantly more likely to be socially frail than male older adults (β = 3.80, p <.01; β = 2.82, p <.01; β = 1.72, p <.01; and β = 2.62, p <.01, respectively). Educational attainment and better economic condition showed a protective effect against social frailty. Investment to improve geriatric health status and socioeconomic conditions shall be a key focus to reduce social frailty prevalence among the older adults. A specific consideration is needed for addressing social frailty among female older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults are at risk of committing cognitive and decision-making errors due to the decline in cognitive functions. However, the understanding of the determining factors of cognitive errors among ageing adults is limited. In this study, we explored the role of various psychiatric factors, life satisfaction, and other socioeconomic, health and behavioural risk factors of committing cognitive errors among middle-aged and older adults in India. The study utilized the data from the experimental module of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave-1 (2017-2018) with a sample of 12,754 adults aged 45 years and above. The cognitive error was measured using logical fallacies committed in the activity-based experiments. The study employed descriptive, bivariate statistics and multivariable logistic regression models to identify the factors associated with cognitive errors among the study participants. Depression (aOR = 1.28, 99%, CI: 1.16-1.41), life satisfaction (aOR = 0.99, 99%, CI: 0.98-1.00), and cognitive impairment (aOR = 1.13, 90% CI: 1.00-1.30) self-reported psychiatric) were significantly associated with higher odds of committing cognitive errors among the middle-aged and older adults. Also, ageing adults with low educational levels, functional limitations, sleep disturbances, smoking history, living in rural areas and belonging to scheduled tribes had a higher probability of committing cognitive errors. However, involvement in physical activity, reading habits and social interactions reduced the odds of cognitive errors among this sample. Mental health and well-being indicators, including depression, life satisfaction, cognitive impairment, and other health and behavioural health factors, determine cognitive errors among ageing adults. Programs and policies should be initiated to address these factors, reduce cognitive errors, and ensure active ageing., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study tried to understand the association between exposure to indoor air pollution and angina among the aging population in India. We utilized the data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave-1 (2017-2018), with a sample of 62,846 aging adults. We applied Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression models. The odds of angina were higher among individuals living in households that used solid fuels for cooking (aOR = 1.15, 99% CI- 1.09-1.20), had someone smoked inside the house (aOR = 1.12, 99% CI- 1.07-1.18), and households that used of incenses inside the home (aOR = 1.11, 99% CI- 1.05-1.18). In addition, it was also found that work-limiting impairment, unhealthy behaviors, and poor health status increased the odds of angina. These results indicate the need to reduce in-house air pollution by promoting clean fuel usage and changing attitudes and practices. Other implications are discussed.

Background: Most individuals spend a significant amount of their time at work, and the dynamics at work can potentially influence their overall life, especially health and mental health. The present study tried to understand the association of the nature of work categorized as physically demanding, psychologically demanding, and environmentally hazardous on life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and depressive symptoms among working middle-aged and older adults in India., Method: We used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), Wave 1, collected between 2017 and 2018. The study sample consists of 28,653 working adults aged between 45 and 70. The study measures were assessed using standard tools. Linear regression analysis was employed., Results: The results indicate that individuals working in less physically demanding (β = 0.06, 99% CI = 0.02-0.09) and not hazardous environments (β = 0.15, 99% CI = 0.09-0.20) had better life satisfaction. Also, not being involved in hazardous work environments increased the likelihood of good cognitive functioning and reduced depressive symptoms (β= -0.17, 99% CI= -0.20- -0.15). However, samples involved in works requiring less psychological demand had an increased likelihood of reduced life satisfaction and increased depressive symptoms., Conclusion: This study's results highlight the importance of creating a conducive working environment for the ageing adults., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The usage of solid cooking fuels is widely prevalent in low and middle-income countries, including India, and contributes to indoor air pollution (IAP), which has detrimental health effects. Moreover, time spent inside the house increases as people age. In this context, the present study tried to understand the association between exposure to indoor air pollution and unhealthy symptoms, including shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, fatigue, wheezing, and cough among middle-aged and older adults in India., Methods: We extracted the unit-level individual data (N = 63 790 ) from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI)-Wave 1 (2017-2018). The statistical analyses used were Chi-square test and binary logistic regression, which estimated the odds ratio to identify the determinants of the unhealthy symptoms., Results: The odds of shortness of breath (adjusted OR: 1.14, 99% CI: 1.05-1.23), dizziness (adjusted OR: 1.28, 99% CI: 1.21-1.35), fatigue (adjusted OR: 1.32, 99% CI: 1.26-1.39), wheezing (adjusted OR: 1.30, 99% CI: 1.19-1.42), and cough (adjusted OR: 1.36, 99% CI: 1.27-1.45) were higher among individuals from households where solid cooking fuels was used. Similarly, the odds of shortness of breath, headache, wheezing, and cough were higher among individuals with a household member who smoked inside the house. The results indicated that the odds of shortness of breath, headache, and cough were significantly lower among participants exposed to incense use., Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest developing programs to combat the sources of indoor air pollution and the associated unhealthy symptoms, especially in rural settings. It is also important to bring awareness and practice clean fuel usage at individual and community levels to improve population health., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: With the increasing proportion of older adults in India, it becomes essential to get an insight into the various influencing factors of successful ageing. However, the literature on successful ageing is minuscule in the Indian context. The present study attempted to understand successful ageing in terms of active and productive ageing by exploring their determining factors., Methods: The data were extracted from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave-1 (2017-2018). We utilized self-reported time use information from the experimental module of the LASI. A total of 7837 ageing adults were included in the study. We employed descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and a multinominal logistic regression model to examine the prevalence and the determinants of active and productive ageing., Results: The prevalence of inactive ageing was higher among the Indian ageing population (57.47%), followed by active ageing (29.59%) and productive ageing (12.94%). Poor sleep quality and the prevalence of morbidity and disability limited the ageing population from attaining active and productive ageing. Engagement in physical activity was significantly associated with active and productive ageing (β = 0.83, 99% CI: -0.72-0.94 and β = 0.82, 99% CI: 0.66-0.98), respectively. Rural ageing adults were more likely to attain active ageing and less likely to attain productive ageing., Conclusion: Engagement in physical activities among the ageing population shall be promoted to attain active and productive ageing. Since the rural ageing population were less likely to attain productive ageing than their urban counterparts, opportunities to participate in more formal economic activities in rural areas could be promoted for the wellbeing of the second demographic dividend., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: In this study, we attempted to generate insights into the determinants of nutritional status among older adults in India by exploring the role of factors including oral health, food insecurity, socioeconomic, demographic and health-related variables. The study also examined the moderating role of tooth loss with the association between chewing ability and nutritional status., Methods: The data was obtained from Longitudinal Ageing Study India (LASI) - Wave 1 (2017-18). The sample consisted of 27,411 older adults (Male = 13, 232; Female = 14, 179) aged 60 years and above. In addition to descriptive and bivariate analysis, we employed multinominal logistic regression analysis., Result: There was a significant association between the ability to chew solid food and tooth loss in the nutritional status of older adults. It was further revealed that tooth loss acted as a moderator (aRRR = 1.50, 95 % CI: 1.08-2.08) between the chewing ability and the risk of being underweight. The weight loss due to food insecurity increased the relative risk ratio of being underweight (aRRR = 1.58, 95 % CI: 1.25-2.00). Further evidence showed that self-rated health (SRH), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), morbidity status and socioeconomic factors had a significant role in determining the nutritional status among older adults., Conclusion: Chewing ability, tooth loss, and food insecurity determine nutritional status among older adults. It is suggested to care for oral and general physical health as these factors increase the risk of nutritional deficits. Also, policy measures should be strengthened to address the specific health and food security needs of older adults from vulnerable socioeconomic circumstances., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Future cohort of older adults may have to rely on non-family sources and forms of support, religion being one of them. This may be especially so, considering the recent longitudinal evidence that individuals are inclined to become more religious with increasing age. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to assess the association between loneliness and life satisfaction among older adults in India, and the extent to which the association between loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation., Methods: Data come from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, with a sample of 31,464 individuals aged 60 years and above. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine the independent association of loneliness and life satisfaction. Further, an interaction analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which the association between perceived loneliness and life satisfaction is moderated by spirituality, religiosity and religious participation among older Indians., Results: The prevalence of low life satisfaction (LLS) was 30.84%; a total of 37.25% of participants reported feeling lonely, 12.54% reported a lack of spiritual experience, 21.24% reported not being religious, and 19.31% reported not participating in religious activities. Older adults who felt lonely had higher odds of LLS relative to peers who were not lonely. Further, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS among older Indians is moderated by their spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation. Specifically, the adverse impact of loneliness on LLS was less negatively pronounced among older adults who were spiritual, religious, and engaged in religious activities., Conclusions: The study found an independent association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction among older adults in India. It also revealed that religiosity, spirituality and religious participation moderate the association between loneliness and lower life satisfaction. These findings, which underscore the health promoting benefits of religiosity and religious engagement, may be used to build on the interaction between religious and faith-based groups and public health professionals., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The combined demographic and epidemiologic transition may significantly challenge the ageing population, especially with a weak health and non-health supporting system. The study aims to elicit the supply side stakeholders' view on healthy ageing and the readiness for a healthy ageing society in the Kerala context, which is one of India's most advanced states in terms of demographic and epidemiologic transition. Data from various stakeholders in the field of Gerontology was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews. A four-step content analysis and themes identification procedure were followed for the data analysis. The study results reiterated the World Health Organisation's (WHO) conceptualisation of healthy ageing, indicating that the intrinsic and extrinsic factors independently or their interacted effect played a potential role in determining healthy ageing. However, the results also revealed that healthy ageing represents only a partial achievement of successful ageing or ageing well. Quality of life (productive/active ageing) and well-being (happiness and freedom) dimensions are inevitable for successful aging. The four overarching themes emerged for preparing a healthy ageing society include (i) planning and resources, (ii) leadership, governance and implementation, (iii) ageing in place, and (iv) opportunities and challenges. The stakeholders perceived that to work towards a healthy ageing society, there is a crucial role for government and non-government partners at various levels., Competing Interests: Conflict of InterestThe authors have no conflict of interest related to this study., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Background: Food security can be directly linked to nutritional status and either directly or indirectly, it has an impact on health status and well-being of the population. Physical frailty is one of the most important phenotypes used to understand the vulnerable nature of older adults. This paper examined the association between food security and physical frailty in older adults., Methods: We used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI, 2017-18), wave-1. The sample size was 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Physical frailty was assessed using the modified version of frailty phenotype proposed by Fried and colleagues. Multivariable logistic regression was used to establish the association between food insecurity with physical frailty., Results: A proportion of 30.65% of older adults were frail in this study. Older adults with food insecurity had higher prevalence of exhaustion (12.1% vs 6.5%), unintentional weight loss (65.5% vs 5.1%), and weak grip strength (8.6% vs 7.9%) in comparison to their food secure counterparts. After adjusting for a large number of confounders, older adults who reported food insecurity had significantly higher odds of being frail [AOR: 2.68; CI: 2.26-3.19] in comparison to older adults with no food insecurity., Conclusion: The study showed that food insecurity is associated with physical frailty among older adults in India. It is suggested that food security programs in the country may be considered as an effective strategy to prevent physical frailty among older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: This study explored the association between family history of hypertension and diabetes with their diagnosis among older Indian adults. The study further examined the role of body mass index (BMI) as a potential mediator in these associations., Methods: Data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI, 2017-18), wave-1 were used. The sample for the study included 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis has been conducted to assess the prevalence of self-reported hypertension and diabetes. Further, multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the research hypotheses of this study. The Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analysis was conducted to recover the direct and indirect effects of BMI in the association of family medical history and diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes., Results: A proportion of 32.70% of older adults were diagnosed with hypertension and 14.23% of older adults were diagnosed with diabetes. A proportion of 19.48% and 14.69% of older adults had a family history of hypertension and diabetes, respectively. Also, 16.57% and 5.53% of older adults were overweight and obese, respectively in the current study. Older adults who had family history of hypertension had higher odds of being diagnosed with hypertension [aOR: 2.23, CI: 2.07-2.39] than those who had no such family history. This association was mediated by BMI (percent mediated: 6.31%). Similarly, older adults who had family history of diabetes had higher odds of being diagnosed with diabetes [aOR: 2.63, CI: 2.41-2.88] than those who had no such family history. This association was mediated by BMI (percent effect mediated: 6.66%)., Conclusion: The study highlights the relevance of using family medical history data along with information on BMI as potential source for the control and management of hypertension and diabetes among older population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no competing interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)