Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T05:50:35.532Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Patterns of older Australians’ engagement in health-promoting activities: a latent profile analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2020

Simone Pettigrew Open the ORCID record for Simone Pettigrew [Opens in a new window] ,
Liyuwork Mitiku Dana ,
Michelle I. Jongenelis  and
Ben Jackson
Simone Pettigrew*
Affiliation:
The George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Liyuwork Mitiku Dana
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
Michelle I. Jongenelis
Affiliation:
Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Ben Jackson
Affiliation:
School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sports Science), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Being active in later life is key to remaining physically and mentally healthy, and health in turn influences individuals’ ability to remain active. Activity prevalence figures can disguise the existence of clusters of older people who are very active due to regular participation in multiple categories of activity versus those who are sedentary. The aim of this study was to conduct segmentation analyses based on retired seniors’ engagement in various activities (walking, active sport/exercise, gardening and volunteering) to identify groups characterised by varying patterns of participation. The sample comprised 746 Western Australians aged 60+ years (range 60–95 years, average age 71.66 years, standard deviation = 6.57), 61 per cent of whom were female. Using latent profile analysis, four distinct segments emerged. Those respondents classified as belonging to the most active group exhibited moderate to high levels of participation across all four forms of activity, and tended to be older and more educated than other respondents. Those allocated to the least active group had very low levels of participation across most of the assessed activities and the least favourable physical and mental health scores. Overall, the results indicate the existence of highly divergent segments within the older population in terms of participation across various combinations of health-promoting activities. Segment membership appears to be more closely associated with physical and psychological factors than socio-demographic characteristics.

Keywords

retireesphysical activitywalkinggardeningvolunteeringlatent profile analysis
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 42 , Issue 5 , May 2022 , pp. 1176 - 1190
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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

Ajzen, I (1991) The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50, 179–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akaike, H (1974) A new look at the statistical model identification. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 19, 716–723.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, ND, Damianakis, T, Kröger, E, Wagner, LM, Dawson, DR, Binns, MA, Bernstein, S, Caspi, E and Cook, SL (2014) The benefits associated with volunteering among seniors: a critical review and recommendations for future research. Psychological Bulletin 140, 1505–1533.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019) 3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, June (Data cubes). Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Available at https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/3101.0Jun%202019?OpenDocument.Google Scholar
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2018) Older Australia at a Glance. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/older-people/older-australia-at-a-glance.Google Scholar
Avital, D (2017) Gender differences in leisure patterns at age 50 and above: micro and macro aspects. Ageing & Society 37, 139–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bauman, A, Merom, D, Bull, FC, Buchner, DM and Fiatarone Singh, MA (2016) Updating the evidence for physical activity: summative reviews of the epidemiological evidence, prevalence, and interventions to promote ‘active aging’. The Gerontologist 56, supplement 2, S268–S280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouaziz, W, Vogel, T, Schmitt, E, Kaltenbach, G, Geny, B and Lang, PO (2017) Health benefits of aerobic training programs in adults aged 70 and over: a systematic review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 69, 110–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bunda, K and Busseri, MA (2019) Lay theories of health, self-rated health, and health behavior intentions. Journal of Health Psychology 24, 979–988.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burton, E, Mitchell, L and Stride, C (2015) Bed of roses? The role of garden space in older people's well-being. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Urban Design and Planning 168, 164–173.Google Scholar
Choi, NG, Burr, JA, Mutchler, JE and Caro, FG (2007) Formal and informal volunteer activity and spousal caregiving among older adults. Research on Aging 29, 99–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, SL and Muthen, B (2009) Relating Latent Class Analysis Results to Variables Not Included in the Analysis. Available at http://www.statmodel.com/download/relatinglca.pdf.Google Scholar
Cnaan, RA, Handy, F and Wadsworth, M (1996) Defining who is a volunteer: conceptual and empirical considerations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 25, 364–383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cutrona, CE and Russell, DW (1987) The provisions of social relationships and adaptation to stress. Advances in Personal Relationships 1, 37–67.Google Scholar
Diehr, P and Hirsch, C (2010) Health benefits of increased walking for sedentary, generally healthy older adults: using longitudinal data to approximate an intervention trial. Journals of Gerontology: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences 65A, 982–989.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fanning, J, Porter, G, Awick, EA, Ehlers, DK, Roberts, SA, Cooke, G, Burzynska, AZ, Voss, MW, Kramer, AF and McAuley, E (2017) Replacing sedentary time with sleep, light, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: effects on self-regulation and executive functioning. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 40, 332–342.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hagenaars, JAP and McCutcheon, AL (2002) Applied Latent Class Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haley, C and Andel, R (2010) Correlates of physical activity participation in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity 18, 375–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanson, S and Jones, A (2015) Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 49, 710–715.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holt-Lunstad, J, Smith, TB and Layton, JB (2010) Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine 7, e1000316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
House, JS (2018) Americans’ Changing Lives: Waves I, II, III, IV, and V, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2002, and 2011. Available at https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NACDA/studies/4690.Google Scholar
Hupin, D, Roche, F, Gremeaux, V, Chatard, JC, Oriol, M, Gaspoz, JM, Barthélémy, JC and Edouard, P (2015) Even a low-dose of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces mortality by 22% in adults aged ⩾ 60 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine 49, 1262–1267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Husk, K, Lovell, R and Garside, R (2018) Prescribing gardening and conservation activities for health and wellbeing in older people. Maturitas 110, A1–A2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hyland, M and Sodergren, S (1996) Development of a new type of global quality of life scale, and comparison of performance and preference for 12 global scales. Quality of Life Research 5, 469–480.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Idler, EL and Benyamini, Y (1997) Self-rated health and mortality: a review of twenty-seven community studies. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 38, 21–37.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jenkinson, CE, Dickens, AP, Jones, K, Thompson-Coon, J, Taylor, RS, Rogers, M, Bambra, CL, Lang, I and Richards, SH (2013) Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers. BMC Public Health 13, 773.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jongenelis, MI, Dana, LM, Warburton, J, Newton, R, Talati, Z and Pettigrew, S (2020) Factors associated with formal volunteering among retirees. European Journal of Ageing 17, 229–239.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kahana, E, Bhatta, T, Lovegreen, LD, Kahana, B and Midlarsky, E (2013) Altruism, helping, and volunteering: pathways to well-being in late life. Journal of Aging and Health 25, 159–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kamata, A, Kara, Y, Patarapichayatham, C and Lan, P (2018) Evaluation of analysis approaches for latent class analysis with auxiliary linear growth model. Frontiers in Psychology 9, 130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, ES and Konrath, SH (2016) Volunteering is prospectively associated with health care use among older adults. Social Science & Medicine 149, 122–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, ACH, Park, SH, Kim, S and Fontes-Comber, A (2020) Psychological and social outcomes of sport participation for older adults: a systematic review. Ageing & Society 40, 1529–1549.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, PL, Lan, W and Lee, CCL (2012) Physical activity related to depression and predicted mortality risk: results from the Americans’ changing lives study. Educational Gerontology 38, 678–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, Y, Chi, I and Palinkas, LA (2018) Retirement, leisure activity engagement, and cognition among older adults in the United States. Journal of Aging and Health 31, 1212–1234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leinonen, R, Heikkinen, E and Jylhä, M (2001) Predictors of decline in self-assessments of health among older people: a 5-year longitudinal study. Social Science & Medicine 52, 1329–1341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lim, K and Taylor, L (2005) Factors associated with physical activity among older people – a population-based study. Preventive Medicine 40, 33–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Magidson, J and Vermunt, J (2002) Latent class models for clustering: a comparison with K-means. Canadian Journal of Marketing Research 20, 36–43.Google Scholar
McPhee, JS, French, DP, Jackson, D, Nazroo, J, Pendleton, N and Degens, H (2016) Physical activity in older age: perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology 17, 567–580.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nagin, DS (2005) Group-based Modeling of Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nicklett, EJ, Anderson, LA and Yen, IH (2016) Gardening activities and physical health among older adults: a review of the evidence. Journal of Applied Gerontology 35, 678–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nylund, KL, Asparouhov, T and Muthén, BO (2007) Deciding on the number of classes in latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling: a Monte Carlo simulation study. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal 14, 535–569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, SA, Lee, AY, Son, KC, Lee, WL and Kim, DS (2016) Gardening intervention for physical and psychological health benefits in elderly women at community centers. HortTechnology 26, 474–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, S, Jongenelis, M, Newton, RU, Warburton, J and Jackson, B (2015) Research protocol for a randomized controlled trial of the health effects of volunteering for seniors. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 13, 74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pettigrew, S, Jongenelis, MI, Jackson, B, Warburton, J and Newton, RU (2020) A randomized controlled trial and pragmatic analysis of the effects of volunteering on the health and well-being of older people. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 32, 711–721.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Principi, A, Chiatti, C, Lamura, G and Frerichs, F (2012) The engagement of older people in civil society organizations. Educational Gerontology 38, 83–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radloff, L (1977) The CES-D scale. A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement 1, 385–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rai, R, Jongenelis, M, Pettigrew, S, Jackson, B and Newton, RU (2019) Identifying modifiable factors associated with health optimism in older adults. Aging & Mental Health 23, 376–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robson, JP and Troutman-Jordan, ML (2015) Back to basics: health and wellness benefits of gardening in older adults. Activities, Adaptation & Aging 39, 291–306.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, M (1989) Society and the Adolescent Self-image, Revised Edn. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.Google Scholar
Ruuskanen, JM and Ruoppila, I (1995) Physical activity and psychological well-being among people aged 65 to 84 years. Age and Ageing 24, 292–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryff, CD (1989) Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 57, 1069–1081.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwarzer, R and Jerusalem, M (1995) Generalized Self-efficacy Scale. Causal and Control Beliefs. Windsor, UK: NFER-NELSON.Google Scholar
Scott, TL, Masser, BM and Pachana, NA (2015) Exploring the health and wellbeing benefits of gardening for older adults. Ageing & Society 35, 2176–2200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soga, M, Gaston, KJ and Yamaura, Y (2017) Gardening is beneficial for health: a meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports 5, 92–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steinmo, S, Hagger-Johnson, G and Shahab, L (2014) Bidirectional association between mental health and physical activity in older adults: Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Preventive Medicine 66, 74–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tennant, R, Hiller, L, Fishwick, R, Platt, S, Joseph, S, Weich, S, Parkinson, J, Secker, J and Stewart-Brown, S (2007) The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 5, 63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wang, D and Glicksman, A (2013) ‘Being grounded’: benefits of gardening for older adults in low-income housing. Journal of Housing for the Elderly 27, 89–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, D and MacMillan, T (2013) The benefits of gardening for older adults: a systematic review of the literature. Activities, Adaptation & Aging 37, 153–181.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2015) World Report on Ageing and Health. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Zubala, A, MacGillivray, S, Frost, H, Kroll, T, Skelton, DA, Gavine, A, Gray, NM, Toma, M and Morris, J (2017) Promotion of physical activity interventions for community dwelling older adults: a systematic review of reviews. PLOS ONE 12, e0180902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed