Older women's personal goals and exercise activity: an 8-year follow-up.

2013

This study investigated the associations of personal goals with exercise activity, as well as the relationships between exercise-related and other personal goals, among older women. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were used with a sample of 308 women ages 66–79 at baseline. Women who reported exercise-related personal goals were 4 times as likely to report high exercise activity at baseline than those who did not report exercise-related goals. Longitudinal results were parallel. Goals related to cultural activities, as well as to busying oneself around the home, coincided with exercise-related goals, whereas goals related to own and other people’s health and independent living…

Individual and environmental factors underlying life space of older people – study protocol and design of a cohort study on life-space mobility in ol…

2012

Abstract Background A crucial issue for the sustainability of societies is how to maintain health and functioning in older people. With increasing age, losses in vision, hearing, balance, mobility and cognitive capacity render older people particularly exposed to environmental barriers. A central building block of human functioning is walking. Walking difficulties may start to develop in midlife and become increasingly prevalent with age. Life-space mobility reflects actual mobility performance by taking into account the balance between older adults internal physiologic capacity and the external challenges they encounter in daily life. The aim of the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) p…

TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT AND LIFE-SPACE MOBILITY AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH WALKING DIFFICULTIES

2017

Life-space mobility, defined as the spatial extent of movement in daily life, is strongly dependent on functional ability. However, active striving to reach one’s goals might inspire older people to move in a larger life-space regardless of their physical abilities. We aimed to study whether tenacious goal pursuit differs according to walking difficulties and whether it is associated with life-space mobility in old age.

The Associations of Activity Fragmentation with Physical and Mental Fatigability among Community-Dwelling 75-, 80- and 85-Year-Old People

2020

Abstract Background Fatigue related to task standardized by duration and intensity, termed fatigability, could manifest as shortening of activity bouts throughout the day causing daily activity to accumulate in a more fragmented pattern. Our purpose was to study the association of activity fragmentation with physical and mental dimensions of fatigability. Methods A cross-sectional study of 485 community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old people using a thigh-worn accelerometer for 3–7 days. Activity fragmentation was studied as Active-to-Sedentary Transition Probability for 2 operational definitions of physical activity: accelerations equivalent to at least light physical activity and for u…

Mobility Limitation and Changes in Personal Goals Among Older Women.

2016

Objectives. Several theoretical viewpoints suggest that older adults need to modify their personal goals in the face of functional decline. The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally the association of mobility limitation with changes in personal goals among older women. Method. Eight-year follow-up of 205 women aged 66–78 years at baseline. Results. Health-related goals were the most common at both measurements. Goals related to independent living almost doubled and goals related to exercise and to cultural activities substantially decreased during the follow-up. Higher age decreased the likelihood for engaging in new goals related to cultural activities and disengaging from g…

Health literacy supports active aging

2020

From the individual viewpoint, active aging refers to the ability of older persons, depending on their goals, functional capacity and opportunities, to engage in desired activities. This study investigated the role of health literacy in active aging among persons differing in their number of chronic conditions. Data were collected from 948 individuals, 57% women, aged 75, 80 and 85 in 2017–2018 in the city of Jyväskylä in Central Finland. Health literacy was assessed with the 16-question version of the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q16), active aging with the University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) and self-reported physician-diagnosed chronic conditions. Both health l…

The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood

2023

Previous studies have linked higher generativity with better mental well-being. However, most of these studies investigated the predictive role of generativity in well-being, while the converse relation, that is, how mental well-being contributes to generativity, has been ignored. This study first investigated the structure and stability of multidimensional mental well-being, that is, emotional (including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive and negative mood), psychological, and social well-being and the absence of depressive feelings, from age 42 to 61. Second, longitudinal associations between mental well-being and generativity were examined. The data ( n = 301) utilized in this s…

Self-rated resilience and mobility limitations as predictors of change in active aging during COVID-19 restrictions in Finland : a longitudinal study

2021

AbstractSocial distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased older people’s opportunities to lead an active life. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether walking difficulties predict changes in leading an active life during the COVID-19 social distancing recommendation compared to 2 years before, and whether self-rated resilience moderates this association among older people. Data were collected during social distancing recommendation in May and June 2020 and 2 years before (2017–18) among community-living AGNES study participants initially aged 75, 80, or 85 years (n = 809). Leading an active life was assessed with the University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS; to…

Associations Between Reasons to Go Outdoors and Objectively-Measured Walking Activity in Various Life-Space Areas Among Older People.

2015

This cross-sectional study investigated associations between reasons to go outdoors and objectively-measured walking activity in various life-space areas among older people. During the study, 174 community-dwelling older people aged 75–90 from central Finland wore an accelerometer over seven days and recorded their reasons to go outdoors in an activity diary. The most common reasons for going outdoors were shopping, walking for exercise, social visits, and running errands. Activities done in multiple life-space areas contributed more to daily step counts than those done in the neighborhood or town and beyond. Those who went shopping or walked for exercise accumulated higher daily step count…

Environmental mobility barriers and walking for errands among older people who live alone vs. with others

2013

Background. Walking is the most popular form of physical activity among older people and for community-dwelling older people walking for errands is especially important. The aim of this study is to examine the association between self-reported environmental mobility barriers and amount of walking for errands among older people who live alone compared to those who live with others. Methods. This observational study is based on cross-sectional data on 657 people aged 75–81 living in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. Self-reports of environmental mobility barriers were collected under four categories: Traffic, Terrain, Distances and Entrance. Persons who reported walking for errands ≤ 1.5 km/week or…

Personal goals and changes in life-space mobility among older people

2015

Abstract Objective Life-space mobility – the spatial extent of mobility in daily life – is associated with quality of life and physical functioning but may also be influenced by future orientation expressed in personal goals. The aim of this study was to explore how different personal goals predict changes in older people's life-space mobility. Methods This prospective cohort study with a 2-year follow-up included 824 community-dwelling people aged 75 to 90 years from the municipalities of Jyvaskyla and Muurame in Central Finland. As part of the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age study (LISPE), which was conducted between 2012 and 2014, the participants responded to the Life-Space Assessment an…

Do opposite ends of same factors underlie life satisfaction vs. depressive symptoms among older people?

2021

Abstract Background Although depressive symptoms are more common among older than younger age groups, life satisfaction tends to remain stable over the life course, possibly because the underlying factors or processes differ. Aim To study whether the factors that increase the likelihood of high life satisfaction also decrease the likelihood of depressive symptoms among older people. Methods The data were a population-based probability sample drawn from community-dwelling people aged 75, 80, and 85 years (n = 1021). Participants’ life satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale and depressive symptoms with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Phy…

FLEXIBLE AND TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT IN RELATION TO OUTDOOR MOBILITY IN OLD AGE

2018

Goal pursuit may affect older people’s outdoor mobility, a correlate of quality of life. This study investigated associations of flexible and tenacious goal pursuit with perceived autonomy in participation outdoors and life-space mobility. Participants were community-dwelling older people aged 79–93 years (n=185). Tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) were self-reported with separate scales (ranges 5–25). Perceived autonomy in participation was assessed with the Impact on Participation and Autonomy ‘outdoors’-subscale (range 0–20), and life-space mobility with the Life-Space Assessment (range 0–120). Two-step cluster analysis was used to create data-driven goal pur…

Assimilative and Accommodative Coping and Older People’s Leisure Activities

2019

Objectives: Assimilative and accommodative coping strategies have hardly been studied in relation to leisure activities in old age. We investigated whether tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) influence the association between physical performance and participation in leisure activities. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 187 community-dwelling people aged 79 to 93 years. TGP, FGA, and leisure activity participation were asked with questionnaires. Physical performance was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results: TGP moderated the relationship between physical performance and leisure activity participation. Despite…

Impact of mobility restrictions on active aging; cross-sectional associations and longitudinal changes parallel to COVID-19 restrictions

2021

Background: Meaningful activities can be done in or around home, but opportunities for participation and active aging decrease when moving in smaller areas. Active aging refers to having an active approach to life in line with one's goals, ability and opportunities. In adults over 75 years with different baseline neighborhood mobility levels, we studied active aging scores two years prior to and amid COVID-19, when governments restricted mobility of residents to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: AGNES cohort data were collected in 2017-2018 and spring 2020. Individuals were queried about their will, ability, and opportunity, and extent of doing 17 activities, and subsequently, item, comp…

DO FLEXIBLE AND TENACIOUS GOAL PURSUIT ALLEVIATE THE INFLUENCES OF FUNCTIONAL DECLINE TO ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION?

2018

Assimilative and accommodative coping strategies have hardly been studied in relation to activity participation when facing functional decline. We investigated whether tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) influence the association between physical or cognitive performance, and physical activity or participation in other hobbies. Participants were 78-93-year-old community-dwelling people (n=187). TGP and FGA were self-evaluated with distinct scales (ranges 5–25). Physical performance was assessed with Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB; 0–12) and cognitive performance with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; 0–30). Physical activity (0–5) and participation i…

The effect of individualized, theory-based counselling intervention on active aging and quality of life among older people (the AGNES intervention st…

2020

Abstract Background We define active aging as a striving for activities as per one’s goals, capacities and opportunities. Aim To test the 1-year counselling intervention effects on active aging. Methods In this two-arm single-blinded randomized controlled trial, the intervention group received individually tailored counselling supporting autonomous motivation for active life (one face-to-face session, four phone calls and supportive written material, n = 101) and the control group written health information (n = 103). Participants were community-dwelling men and women aged 75 or 80 years with intermediate mobility function and without cognitive impairment. The primary outcome was active agi…

Assessing physical performance and physical activity in large population-based aging studies: home-based assessments or visits to the research center?

2019

Abstract Background The current study aims to compare correlations between a range of measures of physical performance and physical activity assessing the same underlying construct in different settings, that is, in a home versus a highly standardized setting of the research center or accelerometer recording. We also evaluated the selective attrition of participants related to these different settings and how selective attrition affects the associations between variables and indicators of health, functioning and overall activity. Methods Cross-sectional analyses comprising population-based samples of people aged 75, 80, and 85 years living independently in Jyväskylä, Finland. The AGNES stud…

Association of tenacious goal pursuit and flexible goal adjustment with out-of-home mobility among community-dwelling older people

2018

Background As people age, functional losses may limit the potential to get outside the home and participate in desired activities and community life. Coping with age-related losses has been reported to be important for psychological well-being. Hitherto is not known whether active use of coping strategies also helps maintain out-of-home mobility. Aims We investigated how two coping strategies, tenacious goal pursuit (TGP; persistency in reaching one’s goals) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA; adjusting one’s goals to changed circumstances), are associated with life-space mobility and perceived autonomy in participation outdoors among community-dwelling older people. Methods Participants (n …

Developing an Assessment Method of Active Aging: University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale

2018

Objective: To develop an assessment method of active aging for research on older people. Method: A multiphase process that included drafting by an expert panel, a pilot study for item analysis and scale validity, a feedback study with focus groups and questionnaire respondents, and a test–retest study. Altogether 235 people aged 60 to 94 years provided responses and/or feedback. Results: We developed a 17-item University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale with four aspects in each item (goals, ability, opportunity, and activity; range 0-272). The psychometric and item properties are good and the scale assesses a unidimensional latent construct of active aging. Discussion: Our scale assesses ol…

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING AS DETERMINANTS OF PURPOSE IN LIFE IN OLD AGE

2018

AbstractPurpose in life reflects the feeling of having goals and meaning in life. Higher purpose in life has been shown to predict better health outcomes in old age and even buffer against mortality. However, it is not known how current health and functional status reflect on the possibilities of older people to live a meaningful life. Therefore, this study aimed to explore associations of health and physical functioning with purpose in life. The participants were 273 community-dwelling 75-year-old men and women from the AGNES study. Purpose in life was assessed with the subscale of the Scales of Psychological well-being (range 7–42). Current health situation and walking ability were self-r…

Older adults’ activity destinations before and during COVID-19 restrictions: From a variety of activities to mostly physical exercise close to home

2021

The aim was to study various types of older adult's activity destinations (counts, frequency of visitation, and distance from home) in the pre-COVID-19 era, and to study prospectively how COVID-19-related regulations limiting mobility affected these. Using a map-based questionnaire, 75-85-year-old participants reported activity destinations, that is, any destinations for physical exercise, destinations facilitating one's outdoor mobility, and destinations for other activities, which they had visited several times during the past month. At baseline, a variety of activity destinations was reported, but during COVID-19, destinations reported markedly declined in number, they were reported pred…

The association between objectively measured physical activity and life-space mobility among older people

2014

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between objectively measured physical activity and life-space mobility in community-dwelling older people. Life-space refers to the spatial area a person purposefully moves through in daily life (bedroom, home, yard, neighborhood, town, and beyond) and life-space mobility to the frequency of travel and the help needed when moving through different life-space areas. The study population comprised community-living 75- to 90-year-old people {n = 174; median age 79.7 [interquartile range (IQR) 7.1]}, participating in the accelerometer substudy of Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) project. Step counts and activity …

The Development of Generativity in Middle Adulthood and the Beginning of Late Adulthood: A Longitudinal Study from Age 42 to 61

2023

AbstractPrevious studies have yielded mixed results regarding the development of generativity during adulthood. Longitudinal data were utilized to investigate the average development of generativity between the ages of 42 and 61 as well as individual differences in terms of its development. The study used data from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS) (initial N = 369). The data consisted of 291 individuals whose generativity scores, measured using the Generativity Scale, were available at age 42, 50, or 61. Rasch analysis was utilized to form a generativity measure. The development of generativity between the measurements was investigated in women a…

Assessment of health literacy among older Finns

2018

Aims: This study examined the feasibility of the HLS-EU-Q16 (in Finnish) for use among older Finns and whether the health literacy score correlates with indicators of health and functioning. Methods: To determine the feasibility of the instrument, we first conducted a focus group discussion with nine participants. For the quantitative analyses, we used data from the AGNES cohort study, collected between October 2017 and April 2018 at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. 292 75-year-old Finnish men and women were interviewed face-to-face in their homes. Health literacy was measured with the HLS-EU-Q16 and health literacy score, ranging from 0 to 50, computed. The reproducibility of the in…

Psychological resilience and active aging among older people with mobility limitations.

2020

Active aging refers to striving for well-being through preferred activity and may be restricted with declining mobility. We investigated whether psychological resilience, i.e., the ability to tolerate hardship, can aid older people in being active despite mobility limitations. Participants were 961 community-dwelling persons aged 75, 80, or 85 years living in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. Mobility limitations were indicated as self-reported difficulty in walking 2 km. Categories were no difficulty (reference), difficulty, and unable to walk. Resilience was assessed with the 10-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and active aging with the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging scale. Data were…

The role of personality traits in leisure time physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic

2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyday life, including physical activity behavior. This study examined the role of the five factor model of personality traits on leisure time physical activity during the pandemic in a sample (n=168) of 61 year-old Finnish men and women, participating in a larger longitudinal study, between April 2020 and April 2021. Frequency of participation and changes in leisure time physical activity were self-reported. Personality traits and facets were assessed with the 181-item NEO-PI. Openness was the only factor positively associated with leisure time physical activity frequency. Participants scoring higher in extraversion (particularly the activity-facet) and…

FREE-LIVING AND LABORATORY-BASED GAIT ASSESSMENTS PROVIDE CONGRUENT RESULTS AMONG 75-YEAR-OLD MEN AND WOMEN

2018

It is often wondered how representative laboratory-based assessments are of the free-living condition. Indeed, free-living gait is more predictive of self-reported falls history compared to laboratory-based gait. However, explicit explorations of the relationship between laboratory-based and free-living based gait parameters remain scarce. Therefore, this association was studied using a trunk-worn accelerometer during a laboratory-based 6-min walking test, and in free-living conditions (6 days) in a sample of 75-year-old men and women (N=77). Gait quantity (minutes of walking per day, distance covered for free-living and laboratory, respectively) and quality (assessed with multiscale entrop…

The combined effect of lower extremity function and cognitive performance on perceived walking ability among older people : a 2-year follow-up study

2018

Background We studied the combined effects of cognitive performance and lower extremity function on self-reported walking modifications and walking difficulty and on self-reported walking difficulty incidence over a 2-year follow-up. Methods A total of 848 community-dwelling older people aged 75-90 years participated at baseline, 816 at the 1-year follow-up, and 761 at the 2-year follow-up. Baseline lower extremity function was measured with the Short Physical Performance Battery (<10 vs. ≥10) and cognitive performance with the Mini-Mental State Examination (<24 vs. ≥24). Difficulty in walking 2 km was self-reported and categorized into no difficulties, no difficulties but walking modificat…

Psychometric properties of the 10-item Connor–Davidson resilience scale among Finnish older adults

2021

Objectives: Resilience, the ability to bounce back after adverse events may be an important factor in active aging. The 10-item version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) seems suitable for aging research owing to its low participant burden; however, its psychometric properties have not been comprehensively reported for older people. For example, no estimate exists of the test–retest reliability of the scale when used with older adults. Hence, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC10 in a large population-based sample of community-dwelling older people. Method: The scale’s internal consistency, factor structure, construct validity, test-retest relia…

The Scales of Psychological Well-Being – a validation, usability and test–retest study among community-dwelling older people in Finland

2020

Objectives: To validate the Finnish version of the 42-item Scales of Psychological Well-Being among community-dwelling older people. The study also examined the test–retest reliability and usability, i.e. user experience, of the scales in this age group. Method: The 42-item version of the SPWB was administered as part of a face-to-face interview among 968 men and women aged 75, 80 or 85 years. The subsample for test–retest analyses comprised 42 participants, who in addition to 11 interviewers also answered questions concerning the usability of the scales. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, Pearson and intra-class correlation coefficients, and Kendal…

Effects of an Individualized Active Aging Counseling Intervention on Mobility and Physical Activity: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Tr…

2020

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report preplanned secondary analyses of the effects of a 12-month individualized active aging counseling intervention on six mobility and physical activity outcomes. Methods: A two-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted among 75- and 80-year-old community-dwelling people. The intervention group (IG, n = 101) received counseling aimed at increasing self-selected, primarily out-of-home activity. The control group (CG, n = 103) received general health information. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Results: Physical performance improved in the IG more than that in the CG (group by time p = .022), self-repor…

HAND GRIP STRENGTH, LOWER EXTREMITY PERFORMANCE AND ACTIVE AGING AMONG 75-YEAR-OLD PEOPLE

2018

Active aging is an endorsed policy goal, which we defined and quantified at the individual level as a striving for activities as per one’s goals, abilities and opportunities. This study examines the association of physical functioning with active aging. Participants were 127 men and 167 women aged 75 years randomly drawn from the population register as part of the AGNES study. The validated University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS) assesses 17 meaningful activities from four aspects: goals, ability, opportunity and activity. Each dimension forms a sub-scale and their sum forms a total score ranging from 0 to 272 (higher scores indicate more active agency). Maximal handgrip strengt…

Individualized counselling for active aging: protocol of a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial among older people (the AGNES intervention stu…

2019

Background: Active aging has been established as a policy goal for aging societies. We define active aging at the individual level as striving for elements of well-being through activities in relation to a person’s goals, functional capacities and opportunities. Increasing evidence suggests that any meaningful activity is beneficial for different aspects of well-being in older people. The aim of the present randomized controlled trial is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a one-year community-based intervention on active aging. The AGNES intervention aims at increasing older peoples’ participation in self-selected valued activities. Methods: The proposed study is a two-arm single-…

sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 – Supplemental material for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in midd…

2023

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood by Emmi Reinilä, Tiia Kekäläinen, Milla Saajanaho and Katja Kokko in International Journal of Behavioral Development

Ikääntyneiden naisten henkilökohtaiset tavoitteet : toimintakyky, tavoitteet ja mieliala

2011

Tutkielmassa tarkasteltiin ikääntyneiden naisten henkilökohtaisia tavoitteita ja niiden yhteyttä liikkumiskykyyn ja mielialaan. Tutkimuksessa todettiin, että ikääntyneiden naisten yleisimmät tavoitteet liittyvät terveyteen ja toimintakykyyn, liikuntaan, ihmissuhteisiin sekä itsenäiseen asumiseen ja elämäntavan säilyttämiseen. Niillä, joiden liikkumiskyky oli rajoittunut, oli enemmän terveyteen ja toimintakykyyn ja vähemmän liikuntaan liittyviä tavoitteita kuin niillä, joiden liikkumiskyky oli hyvä. Tavoitteiden ja mielialan välillä ei havaittu olevan yhteyttä. Tutkimus antaa viitteitä siitä, että toimintakyvyn ongelmat vaikuttavat tavoitteiden asettamiseen ja lisäävät terveyden ja toimintak…

"Oikeen huomaa et me ollaan niinku samaa porukkaa" : vertaisuus ikääntyvien tietotekniikan oppimisen kokonaisuudessa

2008

Personal goals in old age : relationships with resources in life, exercise activity, and life-space mobility

2016

Onnistunutta vanhenemista etsimässä: IAGG-ER2019, Göteborg

2019

sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 – Supplemental material for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in midd…

2023

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jbd-10.1177_01650254231165837 for The structure of mental well-being and its relationship with generativity in middle adulthood and the beginning of late adulthood by Emmi Reinilä, Tiia Kekäläinen, Milla Saajanaho and Katja Kokko in International Journal of Behavioral Development

Active aging – resilience and external support as modifiers of the disablement outcome: AGNES cohort study protocol

2018

Background: Population aging increases the need for knowledge on positive aspects of aging, and contributions of older people to their own wellbeing and that of others. We defined active aging as an individual’s striving for elements of wellbeing with activities as per their goals, abilities and opportunities. This study examines associations of health, health behaviors, health literacy and functional abilities, environmental and social support with active aging and wellbeing. We will develop and validate assessment methods for physical activity and physical resilience suitable for research on older people, and examine their associations with active aging and wellbeing. We will examine coho…