Influence of Active and Healthy Ageing on Quality of Life Changes: Insights from the Comparison of Three European Countries

Alba Ayala, Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez, Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga, Giorgi Beridze, Laetitia Teixeira, Lia Araújo, Fermina Rojo-Pérez, Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas, Vicente Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Víctor Quirós-González, Vanessa Zorrilla-Muñoz, María Silveria Agulló-Tomás, Oscar Ribeiro and Maria João Forjaz
Additional contact information
Alba Ayala: Department of Statistics, University Carlos III of Madrid, 28903 Getafe, Spain
Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez: National Epidemiology Centre, Carlos III Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga: Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
Giorgi Beridze: Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden
Laetitia Teixeira: Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Lia Araújo: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Fermina Rojo-Pérez: Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography, Spanish National Research Council (IEGD-CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain
Gloria Fernández-Mayoralas: Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography, Spanish National Research Council (IEGD-CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain
Vicente Rodríguez-Rodríguez: Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography, Spanish National Research Council (IEGD-CSIC), 28037 Madrid, Spain
Víctor Quirós-González: Dirección de Planificación, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
Vanessa Zorrilla-Muñoz: University Institute of Gender Studies, University Carlos III of Madrid, 28903 Getafe, Spain
María Silveria Agulló-Tomás: University Institute of Gender Studies, University Carlos III of Madrid, 28903 Getafe, Spain
Oscar Ribeiro: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Maria João Forjaz: Health Service Research Network on Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in older people in three European countries (Portugal, Spain and Sweden). A sample of 7589 participants in waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, aged 50 and over and living in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, was included. The CASP-12 scale was used to measure QoL. A principal component analysis was performed to group preselected variables related to active and healthy ageing into the dimensions of health, social participation, and lifelong learning. A linear regression model was built using the change in CASP-12 scores over the 4-year follow-up as the dependent variable, including the interactions between country and each independent variable in the model. After four years, the average QoL increased in Portugal (difference = 0.8, p < 0.001), decreased in Spain (?0.8, p < 0.001), and remained constant in Sweden (0.1, p = 0.408). A significant country-participation component interaction ( p = 0.039) was found. In Spain, a higher participation (? = 0.031, p = 0.002) was related to a higher QoL improvement at 4 years, but not in Sweden or Portugal. Physical health and emotional components (? = 0.099, p < 0.001), functional ability (? = 0.044, p = 0.023), and cognitive and sensory ability (? = 0.021, p = 0.026) were associated with QoL changes over time in all countries. The country-specific associations between health, social participation and QoL should be taken into account when developing public health policies to promote QoL among European older people.

Keywords: quality of life; aging; participation; cross-national; longitudinal; SHARE project (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:8:p:4152-:d:536149

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