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The aim of this study was to examine if church attendance was associated with quality of life (QoL) and feeling of loneliness among older adults in Poland, and if feeling of loneliness mediated the association. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with randomly selected community-dwelling individuals aged 65+ from the general population, hospital patients, and social service users. Church attendance was positively associated with QoL regardless of confounding factors. Older adults attending church frequently felt less lonely and evaluated their health better. Feeling of loneliness mediated the association between church attendance and QoL. Religiousness should be considered as an important determinant of healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article aims to highlight methodological aspects related to understanding and conceptualising social capital for the purposes of population research as well as describing the key challenges in the harmonisation process of indicators of social capital. The study was conducted in the frame of the Ageing Trajectories of Health: Longitudinal Opportunities and Synergies (ATHLOS) project. After a review of social capital theories developed in social science and a subsequent review of the documentation of 18 international cohorts, decision trees of the harmonisation of social variables were developed. The known-group validity was verified. The results focused on generalised trust, civic engagement and social participation are presented. The summary of the availability of any indicators of these concepts is classified in seven domains (generalised trust, political participation, religious participation, senior-specific participation, participation in sport groups, participation in volunteer/charity group activities, any participation) across surveys. The results of the analysis for known-group validity support the construct validity of the harmonised variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical sociology has not paid special attention to observed demographic changes associated with the “greying of societies”. Lack of interest in ageing has resulted in the necessity to develop a new subdiscipline - sociology of aging. The evolution of this subdiscipline has been described in relation to social gerontology. Theories of aging (healthy, successful) have been presented in relation to new changes. Dilemmas and intractable problems focus on prejudices concerning the older persons, gender-related differences in the quality of life in older age, elderly abuse, and quality of life in mentally ill old people as well as other issues.

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine if neglect is associated with self-rated health (SRH) and if neglect mediates the association between selected factors and self-rated health, among older men and women. The analyses were based on face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews conducted with 1632 randomly selected community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years and more from among the general population of Lesser Poland. The regression models’ analysis revealed that elder neglect was associated with self-rated health, and the mediation analysis demonstrated that neglect mediates the association between frequency of church attendance and SRH, as well as between marital status (being a widower vs being married) and SRH, among men. These observations can be helpful in better understanding of the broad context of elder neglect in order to develop instruments for an efficient improvement of older adults’ health and quality of life. In addition to this, the study underlines the role of social networks and social engagement as factors which might protect against neglect, and thus improve self-rated health of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the associations between health and how people evaluate and experience their lives. Methods We analysed data from nationally-representative household surveys originally conducted in 2011-2012 in Finland, Poland and Spain. These surveys provided information on 10 800 adults, for whom experienced well-being was measured using the Day Reconstruction Method and evaluative well-being was measured with the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. Health status was assessed by questions in eight domains including mobility and self-care. We used multiple linear regression, structural equation models and multiple indicators/ multiple causes models to explore factors associated with experienced and evaluative well-being. Findings The multiple indicator/multiple causes model conducted over the pooled sample showed that respondents with younger age (effect size, (β = 0.19), with higher levels of education (β = -0.12), a history of depression (β = - 0.17), poor health status (β = 0.29) or poor cognitive functioning (β = 0.09) reported worse experienced well-being. Additional factors associated with worse evaluative well-being were male sex (β = -0.03), not living with a partner (β = 0.07), and lower occupational (β = -0.07) or income levels (β = 0.08). Health status was the factor most strongly correlated with both experienced and evaluative well-being, even after controlling for a history of depression, age, income and other sociodemographic variables. Conclusion Health status is an important correlate of well-being. Therefore, strategies to improve population health would also improve people's well-being. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Objectif Etudier les associations entre la sante et la maniere dont les personnes evaluent et ressentent leur vie. Methodes Nous avons analyse les donnees tirees des enquetes sur les menages representatifs a l'echelle nationale qui ont ete menees en 2011-2012 en Finlande, Pologne et Espagne. Ces enquetes ont fourni des informations sur 10 800 adultes, dont le bien-etre a ete mesure en utilisant la methode de reconstruction de la journee et le bien-etre evaluatif a ete quantise avec l'echelle de Cantril (Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale). L'etat de sante a ete evalue par des questions dans huit domaines, y compris la mobilite et le fait de prendre soin de soi-meme. Nous avons utilise des modeles d'equation structured a regression lineaire multiple et des modeles a indicateurs eta causes multiples pour etudier les facteurs associes au bien-etre ressenti et evaluatif. Resultats Le modele a indicateurs et a causes multiples applique sur l'echantillon groupe a montre que les repondants jeunes (ampleur de l'effet [β] = 0,19), avec un niveau d'education plus eleve (β = -0,12), des antecedents de depression (β = -0,17), un mauvais etat de sante (β = 0,29) ou de faibles facultes cognitives (β = 0,09) avaient signale le plus faible bien-etre ressenti. Des facteurs supplementaires associes avec la plus mauvaise evaluation de bien-etre etaient: etre de sexe male (β = -0,03), ne pas vivre avec un partenaire (β = 0,07), un statut professionnel inferieur (β = -0,07) ou des niveaux de revenus plus faibles (β = 0,08). L'etat de sante etait le facteur le plus correle a la fois avec le bien-etre ressenti et evaluatif, meme apres controle des antecedents de depression, de l'age, des revenus et des autres variables sociodemographiques. Conclusion L'etat de sante est un facteur de correlation important du bien-etre. Par consequent, les strategies d'amelioration de la sante de la population devraient egalement ameliorer le bien-etre des personnes. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] Objetivo Examinar la relation entre la salud y como las personas evaluan y experimentan sus vidas. Metodos Se analizaron datos de encuestas a hogares representatives a nivel national realizadas inicialmente entre 2011 y 2012 en Finlandia, Polonia y Espana. Estas encuestas proporcionaron information sobre 10 800 adultos, para quienes el bienestar experiential se midio con el metodo de reconstruction de dfa y el bienestar evaluativo se midio con la escala Cantril. Se evaluo el estado de salud mediante preguntas de ocho ambitos, que incluian la movilidad y el cuidado personal. Se emplearon modelos de regresion lineal multiple y ecuaciones estructurales, asi como modelos de causas multiples/indicadores multiples a fin de examinar los factores asociados con el bienestar experiential y evaluativo. Resultados El modelo de causas multiples/indicadores multiples realizado en la muestra combinada mostro que los encuestados de menor edad (tarnaho del efecto [β] = 0,19), con niveles superiores de education (β = -0,12), antecedentes de depresion (β = -0,17), mal estado de salud (β = 0,29) o mal funcionamiento cognitivo (β = 0,09) presentaron menor bienestar experiencial. Otros factores asociados con menor bienestar evaluativofueron el sexo masculino (β = -0,03), no vivir en pareja (β = 0,07) y un nivel ocupacional β = -0,07) o de ingresos inferior (β = 0,08). El estado de salud fueel factor que mas se correlaciono tanto con el bienestar experiencial como evaluativo, incluso despues de examinar los antecedentes de depresion, la edad, los ingresos y otras variables sociodemograficas. Conclusion El estado de salud guarda una correlation importante con el bienestar. Por lo tanto, las estrategias para mejorar la salud de la poblacion podrian asimismo mejorar el bienestar de las personas., Introduction Many national surveys are in progress to evaluate well-being as an indicator of societal progress that goes beyond traditional indices, such as gross domestic product (GDP). These surveys inform [...]

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