Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T11:10:45.952Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measuring active ageing among older adults in Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2015

EMILY Z. K. LIM  and
CLAIRE L. THOMPSON
EMILY Z. K. LIM
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University (Australia), Singapore Campus.
CLAIRE L. THOMPSON*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, James Cook University (Australia), Singapore Campus.
*
Address for correspondence: Claire Thompson, JCU Singapore, 600 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore574421 E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Active Ageing is conceptualised to measure the extent to which older people remain actively engaged with life. However, there is no evidence that the concept of Active Ageing is actually associated with the activity levels of older persons. Influences of age, ethnicity and spirituality on Active Ageing are also unexplored. Using the Active Ageing Index (AAI), this study examines whether the level of Active Ageing predicted the actual activity level of 120 Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay and Indians ethnicities, aged 55–64 years old or 65 years and above. Spirituality, measured by the Spirituality Index of Well-Being, was added to the AAI, to see if the predictive power of AAI improved. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that the AAI alone (controlling for age) did not significantly predict the activity level of older persons. The predictive power of the AAI improved significantly with spirituality included. Two-way between-groups Analysis of Variance revealed main effects of age and ethnicity, with higher AAI in those aged 55–64 and in Indian-Singaporeans. These findings suggest that the theoretical construct of Active Ageing needs further examination to identify the domains that distinguish it from chronological age, and support broadening the construct by including spirituality in Active Ageing.

Keywords

Active Ageingspiritualityactivity levelActive Ageing Index
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 36 , Issue 9 , October 2016 , pp. 1853 - 1869
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agahi, N., Silverstein, M. and Parker, M. 2011. Late-life and earlier participation in leisure activities: their importance for survival among older persons. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 35, 3, 210–22.Google Scholar
Arifin, E. N., Braun, K. L. and Hogervorst, E. 2012. Three pillars of active ageing in Indonesia. Asian Population Studies, 8, 2, 207–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boudiny, K. 2013. ‘Active ageing’: from empty rhetoric to effective policy tool. Ageing & Society, 33, 6, 1077–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buys, L. and Miller, E. 2006. The Meaning of ‘Active Ageing’ to Older Australians: Exploring the Relative Importance of Health, Participation and Security. Paper presented at the 39th Australian Association of Gerontology Conference, Sydney. Available online at http://eprints.qut.edu.au/6671/1/6671.pdf [Accessed August 2014].Google Scholar
Chen, S. Y. and Fu, Y. C. 2008. Leisure participation and enjoyment among the elderly: individual characteristics and sociability. Educational Gerontology, 34, 10, 871–89.Google Scholar
Committee on Ageing Issues 2006. Report on the Ageing Population. Available online at http://app.msf.gov.sg/portals/0/summary/research/cai_report.pdf [Accessed January 2012].Google Scholar
Crowther, M. R., Parker, M. W., Achenbaum, W. A., Larimore, W. L. and Koenig, H. G. 2002. Rowe and Kahn's model of successful aging revisited: positive spirituality – the forgotten factor. The Gerontologist, 42, 5, 613–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cumming, E. and Henry, W. E. 1961. Growing Old: The Process of Disengagement. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Daaleman, T. P. and Frey, B. B. 2004. The Spirituality Index of Well-Being: a new instrument for health-related quality-of-life research. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2, 5, 499–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davey, J. and Glasgow, K. 2006. Positive ageing – a critical analysis. Policy Quarterly, 2, 4, 21–7.Google Scholar
Dergance, J. M., Mouton, C. P., Lichtenstein, M. J. and Hazuda, H. P. 2005. Potential mediators of ethnic differences in physical activity in older Mexican Americans and European Americans: results from the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53, 7, 1240–7.Google Scholar
Diggs, J. 2008. Activity theory of aging. In Loue, S. and Sajatovic, M. (eds), Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, New York, 79–81.Google Scholar
Du, P. and Yang, H. 2010. China's population ageing and active ageing. China Journal of Social Work, 3, 2/3, 139–52.Google Scholar
Fernandez-Ballesteros, R., Robine, J. M., Walker, A. and Kalache, A. 2013. Active aging: a global goal. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, 2013, 4 pages. Article ID 298012.Google Scholar
Foster, L. and Walker, A. 2015. Active and successful aging: a European policy perspective. The Gerontologist, 55, 1, 83–90.Google Scholar
Frey, B. B., Daaleman, T. P. and Peyton, V. 2005. Measuring a dimension of spirituality for health research: validity of the Spirituality Index of Well-Being. Research on Aging, 27, 5, 556–77.Google Scholar
Hansen-Kyle, L. 2005. A concept analysis of healthy aging. Nursing Forum, 40, 2, 45–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harkness, J. A. and Schoua-Glusberg, A. S. 1998. Questionnaires in translation. In Umfragen, Zen-trum für (ed.), Cross-cultural Survey Equivalence. Methoden und Analysen, Mannheim, Germany, 87–126.Google Scholar
He, X. Z. and Baker, D. W. 2005. Differences in leisure-time, household, and work-related physical activity by race, ethnicity, and education. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 20, 3, 259–66.Google Scholar
Horgas, A. L., Wilms, H. U. and Baltes, M. M. 1998. Daily life in very old age: everyday activities as expression of successful living. The Gerontologist, 38, 5, 556–68.Google Scholar
Hughes, J. P., McDowell, M. A. and Brody, D. J. 2008. Leisure-time physical activity among US adults 60 or more years of age: results from NHANES 1999–2004. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 5, 3, 347–58.Google Scholar
Jewell, A. J. 2014. Tornstam's notion of gerotranscendence: re-examining and questioning the theory. Journal of Aging Studies, 30, 112–20.Google Scholar
Johannsen, D. L., DeLany, J. P., Frisard, M. I., Welsch, M. A., Rowley, C. K., Fang, X., Jazwinski, S. M. and Ravussin, E. 2008. Physical activity in aging: comparison among young, aged, and nonagenarian individuals. Journal of Applied Physiology, 105, 2, 495–501.Google Scholar
Kirby, S. E., Coleman, P. G. and Daley, D. 2004. Spirituality and well-being in frail and nonfrail older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 59B, 3, 123–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koenig, H. G., George, L. K. and Titus, P. 2004. Religion, spirituality, and health in medically ill hospitalized older patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52, 4, 554–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Konopack, J. F. and McAuley, E. 2012. Efficacy-mediated effects of spirituality and physical activity on quality of life: a path analysis. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 10, 57.Google Scholar
Kruse, A. 2012. Active Ageing: Solidarity and Responsibility in an Ageing Society. Centre for European Studies, Brussels.Google Scholar
Lemon, B. W., Bengtson, V. L. and Peterson, J. A. 1972. An exploration of the activity theory of aging: activity types and life satisfaction among in-movers to a retirement community. Journal of Gerontology, 27, 4, 511–23.Google Scholar
Lewin, F. A. 2001. Gerotranscendence and different cultural settings. Ageing & Society, 21, 4, 395–415.Google Scholar
Lin, W. I., Chen, M. L. and Cheng, J. C. 2014. The promotion of active aging in Taiwan. Ageing International, 39, 2, 81–96.Google Scholar
Low, L. F. and Anstey, K. J. 2009. Dementia literacy: recognition and beliefs on dementia of the Australian public. Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 5, 1, 43–9.Google Scholar
Menec, V. H. 2003. The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: a 6-year longitudinal study. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58B, 2, 74–82.Google Scholar
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) 2005. The National Survey on Senior Citizens in Singapore 2005. Available online at https://app.msf.gov.sg/portals/0/Summary/publication/NSSC-2005.pdf [Accessed January 2012].Google Scholar
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) 2008. State of the Elderly in Singapore 2008/2009 – Release 3: Social Well-being, Going Forward. Available online at http://app.msf.gov.sg/Portals/0/Summary/research/State%20of%20the%20Elderly_Release%203.pdf [Accessed January 2012].Google Scholar
Moxey, A., McEvoy, M., Bowe, S. and Attia, J. 2011. Spirituality, religion, social support and health among older Australian adults. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 30, 2, 82–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, S. L. 2011. Update on geriatric research in productive aging. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 2, 197–206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Population and Talent Division 2014. Population in Brief 2014. Available online at http://population.sg/population-in-brief/files/population-in-brief-2014.pdf [Accessed April 2014].Google Scholar
Oxley, H. 2009. Policies for healthy ageing: an overview. OECD Health Working Papers, 42, 1–32. doi 10.1787/226757488706.Google Scholar
Paul, C., Ribeiro, O. and Teixeira, L. 2012. Active ageing: an empirical approach to the WHO model. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research, 2012, Article ID 382972, 10 pages.Google Scholar
Ramsey, J. L. 2012. Spirituality and aging: cognitive, affective, and relational pathways to resiliency, 32, 1, 131–50.Google Scholar
Rowe, J. W. and Kahn, R. L. 1997. Successful aging. The Gerontologist, 37, 4, 433–40.Google Scholar
Singapore Department of Statistics 2007. Singapore Statistical Standard for Age. Available online at https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/methodologies_and_standards/standards_and_classifications/nsa.pdf [Accessed April 2015].Google Scholar
Singapore Department of Statistics 2010. Census of Population 2010 Statistical Release 1: Demographic Characteristics, Education, Language and Religion. Available online at https://www.singstat.gov.sg/docs/default-source/default-document-library/publications/publications_and_papers/cop2010/census_2010_release1/cop2010sr1.pdf [Accessed January 2012].Google Scholar
Stowe, J. D. and Cooney, T. M. 2015. Examining Rowe and Kahn's concept of successful aging: importance of taking a life course perspective. The Gerontologist, 55, 1, 43–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thanakwang, K. and Soonthorndhada, K. 2006. Attributes of active ageing among older persons in Thailand: evidence from the 2002 survey. Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 21, 3, 113–39.Google Scholar
Thumboo, J., Fong, K. Y., Machin, D., Chan, S. P., Soh, C. H., Leong, K. H., Feng, P. H., Thio, S. T. and Boey, M. L. 2003. Quality of life in an urban Asian population: the impact of ethnicity and socio-economic status. Social Science & Medicine, 56, 8, 1761–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomasik, M. J. and Silbereisen, R. K. 2014. Negotiating the demands of active ageing: longitudinal findings from Germany. Ageing & Society, 34, 5, 790–819.Google Scholar
Tuna, H. D., Edeer, A. O., Malkoc, M. and Aksakoglu, G. 2009. Effect of age and physical activity level on functional fitness in older adults. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 6, 2, 99–106.Google Scholar
Verghese, J., Lipton, R. B., Katz, M. J., Hall, C. B., Derby, C. A., Kuslansky, G., Ambrose, A. F., Sliwinski, M. and Buschke, H. 2003. Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine, 348, 25, 2508–16.Google Scholar
Vertejee, S. S. and Karamali, N. N. 2014. Active ageing in Pakistan: challenges and opportunities. JPMA: The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 64, 1, 76–8.Google Scholar
Walker, A. 2015. Active ageing: realising its potential. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 34, 1, 2–8.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) 2002. Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. WHO, Geneva.Google Scholar