Journal of Ageing and Longevity

Background and Aim: The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the health and well-being of communities and individuals around the world. One of the concerns about the COVID-19 epidemic is the impact of social isolation due to social distancing on the mental health of older adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health and loneliness among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 211 retirees of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences were selected by available sampling method in 2021. Data were collected through the Demographic, Mental Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Adult Social and Emotional Feeling Questionnaire (SELSA-S). Data were analyzed using paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance, covariance, and chi-squared tests. The significance level was considered 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 71.26 years and the results showed a significant relationship between feeling lonely and mental health (r = 0.535, p = 0.001). There were statistically significant relationships between mental health and social functioning (r = −0.204, p ≥ 0.001) and depression (r = 0.501, p = 0.001) and also between mental health and three subscales of loneliness: romantic loneliness (r = 0.001, p = 0.001), social loneliness (r = 0.493, p = 0.001), and family loneliness (r = 0.289, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Feeling lonely during the coronavirus disease pandemic has a negative effect on the mental health of older adults; therefore, it is necessary for mental health professionals to improve the mental health of the elderly with proper planning and interventions. Full article

This paper is dedicated to the research presented at the 26th Nordic Congress of Gerontology in Odense, Denmark, in June 2022, which was organized by the Danish Gerontological Society and the Danish Society for Geriatrics. The overall topics of the congress were change and continuity. Participants were invited to explore questions on change and continuity from the perspective of ageing and later life within the following congress themes: digitisation and technology; housing, generations and mobility; lifestyle, engagement and transition; education and competences in ageing societies; morbidity, medical treatment and ageing processes; and a good life and a good death. Life is about change and continuity. We experience ourselves and our surroundings differently throughout our lives. For most people, later life is characterized by major transitions, moving towards frailty and multiple losses. But it may also be a part of life with more time to engage in preferred activities, explore new possibilities, and to cope and come to terms with new challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a challenge to the world beyond imagination, particularly for frail and vulnerable people and societies. However, it also provided valuable new insights and reminded us of the values in life. We, therefore, also welcomed presentations and discussions on societal perspectives such as citizen perspective, ethnicity, inequality, sustainability and ecology, the pandemic and lockdown. We thank the organizers, scientific committees and all participants for a great congress with high-quality presentations and discussions. Full article

Background: Scientific and technological advancements have significantly impacted our daily lives, and it is not easy to imagine living without their benefits. However, elderly individuals may experience limited access to these resources, impeding their autonomy. To address this, the use of exergames has been proposed to promote the mental health and socialization of older people. This study aims to systematically review the effectiveness of exergames in promoting older people’s mental health and socialization. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute’s recommended methodology will be used for a systematic review. Databases relevant to the research topic, such as those regarding gerontologic care, aged rehabilitation, geriatric games, video games, play and playthings, mental health, anxiety, depression, stress, and physiological factors, will be searched for experimental and quasi-experimental studies, as well as randomized studies with and without control groups. Results: The systematic literature review will synthesize findings on the effectiveness of exergames in promoting mental health and socialization in the elderly population. Conclusions: Exergames may have the potential to effectively improve the mental health and socialization of the elderly population. Identifying which exergames are most effective for these purposes is important to inform the provision of healthcare to this population. Full article

In this article, we develop a tentative philosophy to orchestrate and support possibilities for artful ageing. This effort argues that older adults need a broader range of opportunities to explore the manifold ephemeral, non-rational, and in-between elements of an ageing life. The philosophy is rooted in the notion that older adults need space (literally and metaphorically) to explore and process their existence and that engaging in such processes can entail emancipatory effects in everyday life. The perspective unfolded throughout the article is a philosophical venture, or, rather, a preliminary work, developing the concept of artful ageing as a tool applicable in rethinking and broadening the range of activities occurring in institutional settings dedicated to older adults. Furthermore, the perspective also presents a critical stance towards normative footings and biopolitical agendas embedded in current regimes of active ageing. Artful ageing represents the ambition to enable and support artful lives, events, and activities among residents and participants in care homes and other contexts. We argue that physical and existential spaces are closely intertwined entities and that initiatives aimed at maintaining adequate measures of openness, ambiguity, and sensory intimacy, i.e., events that allow for the experience of metaphorical cracks, can afford artful pockets in which to reside for a while, seek refuge, recharge, stray from the beaten track, and obtain an always partial feeling of emancipation. In qualifying the concept of artful ageing, we hope to open new avenues to contemplate and subsequently initiate activities for older adults that are not just orientated towards physical health in later life. At the same time, our ambition is to develop a critical perspective aimed at challenging existing notions of successful ageing in (re)invigorating the importance of artful processes and experiences as an element inherent to successful ageing, as well. Full article

One inevitable consequence of aging is the gradual deterioration of physical function and exercise capacity, driven in part by the adverse effect of age on muscle tissue. We hypothesized that relationships exist between age-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in skeletal muscle and age-associated declines in physical function and exercise capacity. Previously, male C57BL/6mice (6m, months old, 24m, and 28m) were tested for physical function using a composite scoring system (comprehensive functional assessment battery, CFAB) comprised of five well-validated tests of physical function. In this study, total RNA was isolated from tibialis anterior samples (n = 8) randomly selected from each age group in the parent study. Using Next Generation Sequencing RNAseq to determine DEGs during aging (6m vs. 28m, and 6m vs. 24m), we found a greater than five-fold increase in DEGs in 28m compared to the 24m. Furthermore, regression of the normalized expression of each DEG with the CFAB score of the corresponding mouse revealed many more DEGs strongly associated (R ≥ |0.70|) with functional status in the older mice. Gene ontology results indicate highly enriched axon guidance and acetyl choline receptor gene sets, suggesting that denervation/reinnervation flux might potentially play a critical role in functional decline. We conclude that specific age-related DEG patterns are associated with declines in physical function, and the data suggest accelerated aging occurring between 24 and 28 months. Full article

Recent decades have witnessed the coming of age of ‘literary gerontology’, a discipline situated at the intersection of literary studies and gerontology. A key argument of this research is that literature and literary criticism can highlight the complexities and ambiguities of age, ageing and later life. As such, the discipline insists on the relevance of literature within the field of gerontology. This study explores this claim from an interdisciplinary perspective and presents the key findings of an exploratory collaboration between researchers representing literature studies, anthropology, history, public health and medicine. The members of the research team took part in a joint reading, analysis and discussion of Danish author Ane Riel’s novel, Clockwork, which depicts an ageing protagonist’s reconcilement with old age and death. These efforts resulted in dual dimensions of insight: a realistic dimension, which may be interpreted as a confirmation of the existing knowledge of ageing and wellbeing, characterized by physical and cognitive challenges; and an imaginary dimension, a type of knowledge distilled in the interaction between the reader and the literary work. The reader can be seen to be tasked with identifying with the protagonist, with this process providing a hitherto unknown perspective on how ageing is experienced, how it feels and what it means. The study exemplifies an approach fostering cross-disciplinary inspiration, which may stimulate novel research hypotheses and ultimately inform public health thinking and medical practice. Full article

Aging research indicates that there is increased sedentary behaviour and insufficient physical activity levels across the older adult population. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that pet ownership can have beneficial physical and mental health effects. Data were drawn from the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA). This questionnaire measured general social demographics such as gender, age, and marital status while also examining elements of physical activity, lifestyle factors (drinking status, smoking status), and education. Two items from the short form International Physical Activity Questionnaire recorded moderate and vigorous activity. Respondents were asked if they owned a pet (Yes/No). The results are based on a secondary data analysis. An ordinal logistic regression revealed that an increase in moderate activity days was associated with pet ownership with an odds ratio of 0.111 (95% CI, −0.036 to 0.337), Wald χ² (1) 15.013, p < 0.001. An increase in vigorous activity days was associated with pet ownership with an odds ratio of 0.039 (95% CI, 0.004 to 0.342), Wald χ² (1) 8.952, p = 0.003). Amongst older adults in Northern Ireland, those with a pet were more likely to engage in regular physical activity. This study was based on a small specific sample of the population and showed differences in physical activity levels between pet owners and non-pet owners. Additionally, the study showed that physical activity is extremely low among the older adult population, therefore further investigation is warranted on the reasons for these low levels. Full article

Introduction: Promoting healthy ageing is increasingly important to maintain functional ability and wellbeing in older age. However, there is a lack of consolidated evidence-based information to support the selection of non-drug interventions to support healthy ageing outcomes for individuals. Methods: A narrative review of the evidence-based literature on non-drug interventions to support healthy ageing was performed. Evidence for intervention benefits was evaluated and mapped into the Systematic Wellness Intervention Pathway framework and aligned to relevant goals, needs and outcomes relating to physical fitness and function, emotional wellbeing, cognitive health, sleep and diet and nutrition. Comments from a modified Delphi survey of 75 expert peer reviewers were analysed to inform the development of the next Pathway iteration. Results: The narrative review identified key healthy ageing interventions, including physical activity, social interaction, interventions for emotional wellbeing, creative and cognitively stimulating activities and diet and nutrition. Peer review survey results indicated majority agreement with all domains and non-drug interventions for healthy ageing in the Pathway, and suggested interventions and outcome revisions informed Pathway iteration. Conclusion: The Pathway could be a step forward in operationalising the delivery of non-drug interventions in an accessible and scalable way, supplementing conventional health and social care, to enable older people to live well for longer. Full article

There is an urgent need to ensure the rights of older adults. In particular, there is a lack of awareness of human rights by older adults themselves, for which intervention strategies should be developed. Due to the need for intervention at this level, a board game was created to empower older adults regarding their rights using a dynamic and interactive method. This article aims to describe the development stages of the board game “The Ark of Rights”^® up to its pilot study. Its development followed three stages: A first phase to review the scientific literature and benchmarks on the rights of older persons, a second phase to define the game design and collect statements from older people for the game, and a third phase to test the game. The European Portuguese Validation of the System Usability Scale (SUS) was used to assess the latter phase. Approximately 200 older people contributed to the game’s contents (second phase), and 74 participated and positively evaluated the game’s usability and their satisfaction with its use (third phase). In summary, the game “The Ark of Rights” revealed itself to be a resource for empowering older adults regarding their rights. It also enables the identification of possible human rights violations among older adults and subsequent intervention. Full article

The prevalence of dementia is increasing globally as populations grow older. Moderate and severe dementia are the main reasons for older people entering long-term care in Finland, and the vast majority of nursing home residents have it. Regarding mild dementia, religiousness is known to slow the progress of the disease, offer solace, and maintain a life-long identity. However, we know practically nothing about the religiousness of people with severe dementia. This study sought to fill the gap by interviewing Lutheran chaplains working in Finnish nursing homes. The data were subjected to qualitative content analysis to understand: (I) how people with severe dementia may express their remaining religiousness and (II) how the chaplains asserted the religiousness of people whom their words often did not reach. The clearest expressions of religiousness found were bodily, including expressions of emotions and fumbling liturgical movements. The chaplains utilized prayer services, active presence, and generational intelligence to respond to residents’ religiousness. The main conclusion is that people with severe dementia can express their faith and are eager to practice it when opportunities are provided to do so. Our research challenges care providers and religious communities to better acknowledge the religiousness of people with severe dementia. Full article

Aging is often accompanied by health events that may disrupt older adults’ desires to age in place. Understanding older adults’ perceptions of planning for their aging process was a priority to identify how planning behaviors occur. Our study explored how people perceive the concept of planning for aging and frailty, and identified the facilitators and barriers involved in the planning process. Using conventional qualitative content analysis, we used the data from semi-structured interviews of twenty community-dwelling older adults aged 50–80 years old. Demographic information was obtained, followed by the participant interviews. Seventeen code categories surfaced including six categories in the perception domain (i.e., internal, external, and future-oriented), seven categories in the facilitators domain (i.e., internal, external, and systems), and four categories in the barriers domain (i.e., internal, and systems). The emergent categories included understanding one’s perception of planning through a holistic lens, the importance of experiences with self/others as facilitators, and the physical/cognitive/emotional factors that serve as barriers within a larger sphere of societal influence. Planning for aging and frailty is an innovative concept that normalizes the aging process and promotes planning through an awareness of aging across the life-course domains. Future research is warranted for intervention development to help older adults recognize and actively plan for aging and to address the barriers involved. Full article

Time is a fundamental component of our lives. It is both objective, a structure outside of ourselves, and subjective, an element that is relative to the life we live and how we experience it. The disabled body must come to terms with time to understand the future impact of the injury and its progression, as well as how the injury will impose a new more accelerated aging process in the body, resulting in a compressed lifespan. The body also challenges time’s control of the body. This paper extends the literature on the study of time to the experience of adults aging with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Drawing from interviews conducted with adults with long-term SCI, it examines how their narratives about aging and the proactive management of their lives reflect their orientation toward and anticipation of the future. Recognizing that the spoken word often carries a multiplicity of meanings, it considers what participants’ words might imply about their engagement with time. The results of this study show that the process of aging is characterized by uncertainty and the expectations of functional and health decline, requiring a sense of urgency and vigilance in the face of the uncertain course of aging with SCI. Participants understood that their lifespan was compressed due to the physiological impact of accelerated aging. Knowledge of this compression made time a scarce resource. Yet, despite it being the arbiters of their futures, so too were they the arbiters of time. Full article

The purpose of this study was to explore how a technical solution implemented among older adults and connected with an app supervised by an app administrator can reduce loneliness, prevent malnutrition, and inspire social eating and networking. In October 2020, a survey was distributed to 3500 administrators of the one-button computer communication tool Komp. Komp consists of a screen placed with older adults and an app used by the administrator of the tool. The survey addresses aspects that can provide new insights into how older adults can use digital solutions as a link to family and external networks. The study results show that due to COVID-19, 65% of respondents said they used Komp more frequently than before, but only 5% of current use was associated with eating meals together. However, 54% of the app administrators indicated that this could be a good future activity. Furthermore, 88% thought Komp could contribute to more socializing through shared meals. This study elicited almost 1650 constructive comments on experience, use, and recommendations. The study results show that digital solutions can be a link between older adults and their families and external network. Such tools can address needs connected to loneliness, social isolation, and food intake. Full article

Malnutrition is associated with accelerated loss of physical function in old adults, but the assessment of malnutrition in primary prevention is challenging. This study aimed to investigate if malnutrition risk factors; poor appetite, dysphagia, and poor dental state, were associated with reduced physical function in community-dwelling adults ≥80 years. The study is based on data from two cross-sectional studies. Physical function was assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (score ≤ 9 indicate reduced physical function) and poor appetite, dysphagia and poor dental status was assessed by single questions. A total of 900 participants were included (age 85.1 ± 3.7 years; 60.9% females; 62.8% had reduced physical function). Participants with reduced physical function were older, had a higher BMI, more polypharmacy, more falls, and lower quality of life. Poor appetite was reported by 10.8% and associated with reduced physical function (adjusted-OR 1.93, 95%CI 1.18–3.15). No association was identified between dysphagia, poor dental state and reduced physical function (adjusted-OR 0.96, 95%CI 0.53–1.75 and adjusted-OR 0.99, 95%CI 0.41–2.35, respectively). The assessment of appetite during primary preventive strategies was feasible and may offer an opportunity for identification of very old community-dwelling adults at risk of reduced physical function. Full article

Previous studies have demonstrated relationships between religiosity, physical and mental health-related outcomes, and healthy collective longevity. This qualitative study investigated the elements of pleasure and fulfillment in older adults living in the super-aged society of Japan and the rapidly super-aging society of Thailand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 older adults—seven from Japan, and seven from Thailand, covering five topics: (1) pleasures in daily life; (2) purpose in daily life; (3) thoughts about aging; (4) things they do actively for their health; and (5) things they worry about. Data were analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization method. Japanese older adults mostly engaged in individually accomplished pleasures, whereas Thai older adults aimed to experience pleasures involving others. Thai older adults viewed aging as a natural phenomenon and stressed the importance of self-regulation. The Japanese participants, however, focused on activities that would avoid the burden of long-term care, maintain their current lifestyle, and help with self-improvement and lifetime learning. Although Thai older adults derived pleasure and fulfillment from being helpful toward others, Japanese older adults’ narratives indicated that they tended to worry about others. Differences between the two countries’ lifestyles, environments, beliefs, and religious contexts explain the differences in the mechanisms by which Japanese and Thai older adults experience joy, fulfillment, and purpose in life. These results suggest ways to improve quality of life, extend healthy life expectancy, and prevent cognitive decline in older adults thriving in aging societies. Full article

Immune cells are thought to be involved in a destructive cycle of sterile cerebral inflammatory responses in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Despite their peripheral origin, immune cells may enter the CNS due to impaired blood–brain barrier function and may potentially contribute to neuronal damage. Hence, specific characteristics of peripherally activated immune cells could help in understanding neurodegeneration in PD and could potentially serve as accessible disease markers. To investigate immune cell activation status, the expression of receptors for cell surface molecules CD161, NKG2A, NKG2C and NKG2D as well as chemokine receptors CCR6, CXCR2, CXCR3 and CCR5 associated with neurodegenerative diseases was investigated. The frequencies of peripheral CD8+ T-cells expressing the inhibitory and activating receptors NKG2A and NKG2C, and the activating receptor NKG2D were higher in PD patients than in healthy matched controls. The frequencies of NKG2C+CD8− cells were also higher, whereas the frequencies of CD161+ cells were not significantly different. Of the chemokine receptor-expressing cells, only the proportion of CD4−CD56+CCR5+ T-cells was higher in PD patients than in the controls. These observations support the hypothesis that an imbalance in the activation state of T-cells plays a role in the pathological processes of PD and suggest that peripheral blood immune cell phenotypes could be specific early markers for inflammation in PD. Full article

Annual influenza vaccination is important for older adults to prevent morbidity and mortality from seasonal influenza. Although the United States has had limited success in increasing influenza vaccination, the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 may have changed older adults’ approach to vaccination. The objective of this study is to determine factors associated with influenza vaccination in 2019 and 2020 and compare their degree of associations across the two years. Data from the 2019 and 2020 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional interview, were collected for variables relating to annual influenza vaccination and possible associated factors. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression. The results show that never having received a vaccination for pneumonia increased the odds of receiving an influenza vaccination by 6.79–7.80 times. Recent specialist care for eye or oral health significantly increased the odds of receiving an influenza vaccination. Being a smoker, identifying as African American, and considering oneself to have excellent overall health were associated with significantly lower odds of receiving a vaccination. Although self-reported feelings of anxiety were not associated with vaccination in 2019, they increased the odds in 2020. Overall, influenza vaccination in older adults may be tied to reliable healthcare access and perceived susceptibility to infectious respiratory diseases. Full article

Prior research suggests that people with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may experience a form of accelerated biological aging. In other populations, loneliness has been shown to elevate risk for many of the same components of accelerated biological aging, and other deleterious outcomes, as seen in people with PTSD. Although standard diagnostic criteria for PTSD include “feelings of detachment or estrangement from others”, the relationship of such feelings to the concept of loneliness remains uncertain, in par potentially due to a failure to distinguish between loneliness versus objective social isolation. In order to catalyze wider research attention to loneliness in PTSD, and the potential contribution to accelerated biological aging, the present paper provides three components: (1) a conceptual overview of the relevant constructs and potential interrelationships, (2) a review of the limited extant empirical literature, and (3) suggested directions for future research. The existing empirical literature is too small to support many definitive conclusions, but there is evidence of an association between loneliness and symptoms of PTSD. The nature of this association may be complex, and the causal direction(s) uncertain. Guided by the conceptual overview and review of existing literature, we also highlight key areas for further research. The ultimate goal of this line of work is to elucidate mechanisms underlying any link between loneliness and accelerated aging in PTSD, and to develop, validate, and refine prevention and treatment efforts. Full article