What is successful ageing? More than good health
Older Australians value independence, resilience and social-emotional connections, a new international study led by Dr Elissa Burton has found.
The secret to ageing successfully lies in remaining active, independent and engaged, according to research from Curtin University.
The paper, published in the journal Gerontologist in October, examined perceptions of successful ageing through a survey of almost 2,000 participants aged 65 and over in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States, between September 2021 and April 2022. More than a quarter of the respondents currently live in Australia (544).
Researchers got to hear firsthand what older people think on the topic, says lead author Elissa Burton – an associate professor at Curtin University’s School of Allied Health and co-lead of the dementia and ageing team domain at Curtin enAble Institute.
“Recent research about successful ageing is now starting to engage older people, rather than looking at large health datasets for the answers,” Burton tells Australian Ageing Agenda.
“I find working directly with older people very inspiring because they are so honest, have been through numerous experiences and have wisdom we should tap into more.”
One participant reported it was important to them to take a lively interest in the world around us
The study discovered older people consider many aspects of their life when it comes to ageing successfully and not just their health, says Burton.
“Our research found the most important aspect of successful ageing was being actively engaged and independent. Physical activity and wellbeing, being resilient and accepting some things in life were also important. As were social-emotional connections and support, health promotion and being mentally healthy and maintaining cognition.”
Burton says her team was “very happy” with the results, most notably because they had “strong representation” from people living in regional areas and remote areas including small towns and farming communities.
“One aspect that did surprise me a little was how important outlook on life was, in particular having a positive outlook on life. For example, one participant reported it was important to them to take a lively interest in the world around us,” she says.
The online survey was distributed to seniors predominantly via Facebook advertisements in each of the target countries but also to participants on a research database, a link on the Council on the Ageing Western Australia newsletter, the Strength for Life newsletter, and the Injury Matters e-newsletter.
Respondents had a mean age of 73 and about three-quarters of participants were female. The survey also asked about where the older people lived and who with, education level, employment status, children, medications, and activities of daily living.
They were also tasked with answering the following questions:
- Please describe what ‘successful ageing’ means to you?
- Do you feel like you are successfully ageing?
Themes and subthemes of successful ageing
The research identified six key themes:
- actively engaged and independent
- physical activity and wellbeing
- resilience and acceptance
- social-emotional connection and support
- health promotion and maintenance
- mentally healthy and cognitively sound.
“These themes illustrate the multidimensional aspect of successful ageing among the participants, which was found both within participants’ single response to the question as well as the combination of responses among participants,” the researchers say in the paper.
Descriptions of successful ageing were predominately linked to areas where someone is actively engaged in life and maintaining independence. Within this area, the research identified nine subthemes:
- enjoyment
- capable and independent
- hobbies
- knowledgeable, mentally stimulated, and continuing to learn
- approach to life
- future planning
- financial security
- employment and retirement
- volunteering.
Burton tells AAA that until now no one has explored successful ageing across different countries and continents.
“Social media now makes it possible to connect with older people around the world and although the analysis took considerable time it was definitely worth it in the end,” she says.
“The results show us how diverse people continue to be as they age and that we need to continue to consider this when providing services to assist them to successfully age.”
Burton had a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator grant to complete the work involved in this paper. Since then, she has received a Healthway Exploratory Grant from the WA state government, which she and her colleagues will use to create a Successful Ageing Massive Open Online Course.
The MOOC will help older people and other adults shift towards successful ageing and will offer allied health students a better understanding of what older people want to age successfully.
Access the paper: What Does It Mean to Successfully Age?: Multinational Study of Older Adults’ Perceptions
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