Conceptualisation and measurement of healthy ageing: Insights from a systematic literature review

Andreea Alexandra Piriu, Maria Vittoria Bufali, Giulia Cappellaro, Amelia Compagni and Aleksandra Torbica

Social Science & Medicine, 2025, vol. 374, issue C

Abstract: This paper enhances the understanding and measurement of Healthy Ageing (HA) through a systematic review of its multidimensional operationalisation. Despite progress in HA research, no consensus exists on its constitutive elements, and current frameworks often do not capture its full complexity. Building on the World Health Organization (WHO) HA definition, we organise empirical evidence under three dimensions: intrinsic capacity (IC), functional ability (FA) and the environment (ENV). To identify conceptual, empirical and methodological gaps, we provide a structured synthesis of concepts, measures and instruments used in HA research, evaluating methodological advancement and standardisation in HA measurement.

Keywords: Healthy ageing; Intrinsic capacity; Functional ability; Environment; Biopsychosocial approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:374:y:2025:i:c:s027795362500262x

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117933

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