Women's successful aging

Perpetuating ability to live life as usual: a grounded theory study of persons living with age-related macular degeneration

BACKGROUND

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease associated with age that causes progressive and irreversible loss of central vision, while the peripheral visual ability remains. The occurrence of and especially late AMD is estimated to increase extensively to 2040 among persons aged ≥ 65 in Scandinavia, due to an increasing aging population.

OBJECTIVES

The present study explored what it means to live with AMD through the eyes of those living with the condition.

METHODS

This is an explorative interview study. People who were ≥ 65 years old, living in their own homes, and diagnosed with advanced dry AMD in one or both eyes, causing a visual acuity of no more than 0.3 or worse in the best eye, were invited to participate in the study. The method chosen was the constructivist grounded theory, where reality is seen as fundamentally social and processual and a way of accessing the participants' experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

RESULTS

In total, 12 interviews were conducted. Living with dry AMD confronted different problems and challenges. The substantive theory, Perpetuating ability to live life as usual, is characterised by a desire to continue life as usual, which requires an acceptance of the disease's progress, self-acceptance of the new me, and an acceptance that the new life needs to be lived a little more carefully. Moreover, the participants used three strategies to resolve their main concern by maintaining an everyday life 1) Navigating the new normal, 2) Trusting own ability, and 3) Interdepending.

CONCLUSION

Maintaining an everyday life is the primary concern among people with AMD. In supporting self-care, gaining information about the subjective experience to support their everyday living is of the utmost importance. This grounded theory captures valuable knowledge of how the older adults resolved their main concern "you got to keep on" despite their affected vision by "facing the fact" live life as usual since since life goes on. Our study also gives rise both to implications for research and practice in order to strengthen older people with AMD facing their future challenges.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The Swedish Ethical Review Authority (EPN 2021/02877).

The effect of square dance on family cohesion and subjective well-being of middle-aged and empty-nest women in China

Researchers in this study aimed to examine the effect of square dance on the subjective well-being of middle-aged and empty-nest women, as well as the potential moderating role of group belongingness in the relationship between family cohesion and subjective well-being. A total of 331 middle-aged and empty-nest Chinese women participated in a survey to measure their family adaptability and cohesion, group belongingness, general well-being, and square-dancing participation information. The results were found as follows: (a) Chinese middle-aged and empty-nest women's family cohesion was positively associated with subjective well-being, and their group belongingness in square dance was positively associated with subjective well-being; (b) participation in square dance can be the moderator the relationship between family cohesion and subjective well-being; (c) group belongingness was found to be a moderator in the relationship between family cohesion and subjective well-being.

Physical activity and successful aging among middle-aged and older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

Background: We aimed to investigate the association between physical activity and successful aging among middle-aged and older adults and study how this association changes with age and time.

Results: The mean score of Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessment was 8.0±0.8. Physically active middle-aged and older adults were more likely to age successfully than sedentary adults (OR=1.64, 95%CI: 1.40–1.94). The effect of physical activity was stronger in the younger group (OR=1.71, 95%CI: 1.41–2.08) than on the older group (OR=1.54, 95%CI: 1.13–2.08). However, the protective effect of physical activity reduced annually by approximately 3%.

Conclusions: Physical activity promotes successful aging among middle-aged and older adults especially in the younger population. Being physically active at middle and old age is beneficial to successful aging.

Methods: We searched for the relevant studies in three online databases: Pubmed, Web of Science, and Embase. Fifteen community-based cohort studies were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale assessment Form was used for quality assessment. Overall, 189,192 participants aged 43.9-79.0 years were analyzed. The odds ratio for successful aging of the most physically active group compared with sedentary group was analyzed. Subgroup analysis was conducted by age group. Univariate Meta-regression was performed according to follow-up years.