At the university of Toronto, a recent study from researchers have provided new insights into healthy aging by observing two distinct demographics in Canada. Canadian and immigrants born older adults.
Several characteristics were identified by the studies authors which was associated with positive experience, later in life which will contribute to healthy aging.
A Doctoral Candidate at the University of Toronto’s factor- Inwentash Faculty of social work and the institute of life course and aging and lead author of the study, Mabel Ho has indicated, previous definitions of successful aging were very narrow and required that senior citizens were free from all diseases -that definition was met by a very few people.
Ho explained that regardless of whether they have a chronic illness, aging successfully means that individuals are not limited in their ability to accomplish activities daily. According to a study defined, Mabel Ho, the attributes for a healthy aging are adequate social support, freedom from disabling chronic pain, freedom from memory problems and mental illness, self-reported perceptions of happiness and physical health and the ability to accomplish activities of daily living.
From the Canadian Longitudinal study on aging (CLSA), researches Analyze data from two different time periods. The data encompassed 7651 individuals, who were 60 or older when they began participating in the Longitudinal study. From the participants 1446 were Canadian immigrant’s respondents.
Several characteristics were linked with healthy aging. Including individuals who never smoked did not have heart disease or arthritis, not having obesity and who did not have sleep issues.
A study showed that compared to the Canadian immigrants, the people born in Canada were about 24% more likely to age successfully. Although most individuals in both groups met the study standards for healthy aging.
Healthy aging may result from many factors such as persons lifestyle, genetics, environment and access to affordable health care. Healthy aging is a matter of health equity, was written by Doctor Sadana. Globally for healthy aging to exist, in inequities and social determinants must be addressed.
She said that WHO, aims in multiple sectors to empower policy makers as well as to improve the health care facilities for older people, how they can analyze their context and improve healthy aging.
