Back to Search
Start Over
Factors associated with active aging in Finland, Poland, and Spain
- Source :
- Dipòsit Digital de la UB, Universidad de Barcelona, Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya, instname
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: Continuous population aging has raised international policy interest in promoting active aging (AA). AA theoretical models have been defined from a biomedical or a psychosocial perspective. These models may be expanded including components suggested by lay individuals. This paper aims to study the correlates of AA in three European countries, namely, Spain, Poland, and Finland using four different definitions of AA. METHODS: The EU COURAGE in Europe project was a cross-sectional general adult population survey conducted in a representative sample of the noninstitutionalized population of Finland, Poland, and Spain. Participants (10,800) lived in the community. This analysis focuses on individuals aged 50 years old and over (7,987). Four definitions (two biomedical, one psychosocial, and a complete definition including biomedical, psychosocial, and external variables) of AA were analyzed. RESULTS: Differences in AA were found for country, age, education, and occupation. Finland scored consistently the highest in AA followed by Spain and Poland. Younger age was associated with higher AA. Higher education and occupation was associated with AA. Being married or cohabiting was associated with better AA compared to being widowed or separated in most definitions. Gender and urbanicity were not associated with AA, with few exceptions. Men scored higher in AA only in Spain, whereas there was no gender association in the other two countries. Being widowed was only associated with lower AA in Poland and not being married was associated with lower AA in Poland and Finland but not Spain./nCONCLUSIONS: Associations with education, marital status, and occupation suggest that these factors are the most important components of AA. These association patterns, however, seem to vary across the three countries. Actions to promote AA in these countries may be addressed at reducing inequalities in occupation and education or directly tackling the components of AA lacking in each country. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement number 223071 (COURAGE in Europe), from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FIS research grant number PS09/01845 and PS09/00295 and from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation ACI-Promociona (ACI2009-1010). The study was supported by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III and Recercaixa 2011. J.P. is grateful to the Instituto de Salud Carlos III for a predoctoral grant (PFIS)
- Subjects :
- Male
Gerontology
Aging
Finlàndia
Health Status
Envelliment -- Fisiologia
10. No inequality
Finland
media_common
Geriatrics
education.field_of_study
Envelliment -- Psicologia
Age Factors
Middle Aged
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
Geography
Educational Status
Marital status
Female
Independent Living
Psychosocial
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Population ageing
medicine.medical_specialty
Inequality
Higher education
media_common.quotation_subject
Population
Polònia
Sex Factors
Envelliment
medicine
Humans
Occupations
Espanya
Social Behavior
education
Aged
Marital Status
Successful aging
business.industry
Health Surveys
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethnopsychology
Spain
Poland
Educació
Geriatrics and Gerontology
Estat civil
Geriatria
business
Demography
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Dipòsit Digital de la UB, Universidad de Barcelona, Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya, instname
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1e6c15ad1b99210be6c3870c8718fe8d