Literature Review: Healthy Ageing, Social Activities, and Wellbeing

This literature review examines the multifaceted concept of healthy ageing, emphasizing the significance of social interaction and participation in maintaining the wellbeing of older adults. The review analyzes various studies and models, including the activity theory and the social convoy models, to illustrate the positive impacts of social engagement on physical, mental, and cognitive health. The review explores the historical background of healthy ageing, highlighting factors like psychosocial stress, loneliness, and the role of social involvement in preventing these issues. It also presents the findings of various research studies on the reciprocal causal relationship between social activities and health, which shows the need for strategies to encourage social participation among older adults, particularly those with cognitive decline. While some studies disagree, the consensus supports the efficacy of social engagement, making it a predictor of better health. The review also discusses the strengths and limitations of the research, including the need for more research on the role of family and community in mediating social participation. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of promoting social activities to prevent social isolation and depression, which negatively impact mental and physical health.

Running Head: LITERATURE REVIEW ON HEALTHY AGEING
Literature Review on Social interaction Healthy Ageing
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1Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
Introduction
Healthy ageing is the process that exploits the optimization of the opportunities for
physical, mental as well as the social well-being of the older adults thus enabling them to be
an active part in the society without any discrimination. Thus, this promotes an independent
life with comparatively higher quality of life (Bourassa et al., 2017).
This article deals with the literature review based on a case study of Frederick Arum who
is 78-year old widower. He is a social person and maintains healthy family and social life. He
is having certain health challenges of late and the general physician has advised him to lose
weight to maintain ideal BMI to remain fit. Frederick is not very keen to do exercises but he
had shown interest in socialising. Even the general physician has also advised him to increase
his socialising activities as well.
The recent studies have revealed that the leisure activities should be promoted amongst the
elderly adults as such activities are indicator of certain independence that exploits both the
physical and the mental health and thus it plays a strong role in the well-being of the older
adults (Ferrer et al., 2016) (Bourassa et al., 2017). This article aims to prove the impact of the
social activities and participation on the process of healthy ageing.
Literature review
Historical background
The term healthy ageing exploits several factors for well being of an individual that may
include physical, psychosocial, social and spiritual factors. The factors that negatively impact
the process of healthy ageing includes ego-integrity, perceived health status, loneliness and
depression that may arise due to low self-esteem, lack of involvement (Cherry et al., 2013).
This article exploits the influence of the psychosocial factors on the healthy ageing and

2Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
reviewing the socio-demographic characters of the population as well. Social involvement
prevents the elders from psychosocial stress and other cumulative stress related to ageing
(Kim & Yoon, 2017). Social involvement is also associated with better physical functioning
thus decreasing the risk of mortality and promoting healthy ageing. It can thus be stated that
social well being boosts the mental health of the individual that positively impacts the
physical well-being.
In accordance to the activity theory, the involvement in social activities is likely to
promote satisfaction in life and consecutively enhancing the process of healthy ageing. Based
on the Rowe and Kahn’s model of ageing it is stated that the key to successful and healthy
ageing is active participation in the social activities. It also states that prevention of disease
disability and maintenance of physical cognition function is vital along with social
involvement. The social convoy models state that social support plays a vital role in
determining the well being of an individual all through his life, from infancy to old age (Han
et al., 2015).
Concepts of the research
It can be stated from the research study on the reciprocal causal relationship between social
activities and health that involvement in social activities promotes a positive health impact
among the elderly community dwellers irrespective of the level of cognitive function. So, it
can be concluded from this research article that there exists a need for development of
strategies that can be exploited to encourage the older adults in the community with cognitive
decline to participate in social activities. Studies have revealed that 62.5% of the older adults
and 25% of the oldest old adults were more likely to report membership in more that six
clubs and social organisations in comparison to the younger adults which was only 12.5%.

3Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
Relationship to the topic
Increased participation of older adults in social activities positively impacts the elevated
health levels for individuals with mild to moderate cognitive impairment to individuals
without any cognitive impairment. Thus, social activities are the predictors of better health as
it is proven efficacious for physical, cognitive and subjective well being of the adults. The
relationships between social engagement, positive health behaviours and physical health
provides new evidence that addresses the gaps in the literature regarding social involvement
and healthy ageing in the elderly adults (Smith et al., 2017).
Areas of agreement or disagreement to the topic
Majority of the articles selected for the literature analysis of healthy ageing and impact of
social association on the process states the efficacy and the need for social involvement. three
out of the four paper selected for the literature study is in favour of the topic while one of the
articles clearly states that there is no impact of social participation on healthy ageing. It has
been opined by Hodge et al., 2013 that a healthy lifestyle as well as maintaining healthy
weight plays a dominating role in successful ageing but not the social participation.
According to the author it is just a perception that social wellness impacts the ageing but it is
unable to impact the usual conditions associated with ageing. This article clearly disagrees to
the study analysis involving impact of the social well being on healthy ageing stating that it is
just a perception. It can be considered based on the literature review that both elevated levels
of physical activity and involvement in social activities aid to the process of successful and
healthy ageing in elderly adults (Michèle et al., 2019).
Approach to the design
This literature review on healthy ageing exploited data from primary as well as secondary
sources equally. Though the statistical data for all the studies were based on ANOVA or other

4Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
methods the approach was a little different. Two papers exploited primary data where one
was a study centered for 384 cohorts that was divided in younger aged, older and oldest old.
The second one was 171 Korean adults aged between 45 to 77 years participated in the study
involving questionnaire. The other two journals exploited secondary sources of data in which
one was 4th and 5th waves of KLoSA (Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing) considering
people above the age of 45 years exploited data with respect to social, financial and health
categories. Total population of 6892 of which 3473 were selected. The other one involved
5512 eligible participants at the age of 70 years in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort
Study.
Strength and weakness
This study clearly the fact that though maintaining elevated levels of physical activity
promotes healthy ageing but the level of physical activity and the functional status in elderly
people is correlated to psychosocial variables. The recent research also speaks about the
involvement of elderly people of in the leisure activities in the communities which states that
social participation as well as high physical activity promotes successful ageing. Taking into
account the applied implications there is a potential to improve physical health of elderly
adults by the institution of social support intervention.
The major factors as well as the mechanisms which contribute to the participation of the
elderly people of the community in social activities with respect to the cognitive level is yet
to be researched and identified. The requirement to examine the role of family and
community as a mediator of participation in the activities as an evidence to the development
of relevant policies. The limitations are also the research sample which is difficult to state
that the subject group is representative of the aged people in Korea as all the participants live
in major cities and they have greater access to the different socio-cultural benefits as
compared to those people dwelling in the smaller cities or inhabiting in the rural areas.

5Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
Sample does not deal with a variety of population. This literature study is majorly based on
the Korean population that is two of the four papers deal with subject of Korean old people.
The negative impact of the social intervention on the quality of health as well as the physical
function has not been mentioned or can be considered as a scope for future research and a
limitation to this literature review.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded from the research review that participation of social activities
plays a role in the well-being of the older adults preventing them from social isolation and
depression that impacts the mental health of the elderly people. Mentally compromised state
has an impact on the physical well-being as well considering the factors to be interrelated.
Though it cannot be completely nullified that the physical activity has no role in the process
of ageing, it also plays a vital role. In order to meet both the requirement of physical activity
and socialising the promotion of participation of the elderly adults in social activities is of
utmost importance.

6Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
References
Kim, D. E., & Yoon, J. Y. (2017). The Reciprocal Causal Relationship between Social
Activities and Health with Reference to the Cognitive Function Level among Community-
dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis. Journal of Korean Academy of
Community Health Nursing, 28(1), 13-22.
Han, K., Lee, Y., Gu, J., Oh, H., Han, J., & Kim, K. (2015). Psychosocial factors for
influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea. Health and quality of life outcomes, 13(1),
31.
Cherry, K. E., Walker, E. J., Brown, J. S., Volaufova, J., LaMotte, L. R., Welsh, D. A., ... &
Frisard, M. I. (2013). Social engagement and health in younger, older, and oldest-old
adults in the Louisiana healthy aging study. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 32(1), 51-75.
Hodge, A. M., English, D. R., Giles, G. G., & Flicker, L. (2013). Social connectedness and
predictors of successful ageing. Maturitas, 75(4), 361-366.
Michèle, J., Guillaume, M., Alain, T., Nathalie, B., Claude, F., & Kamel, G. (2019). Social
and leisure activity profiles and well-being among the older adults: a longitudinal
study. Aging & mental health, 23(1), 77-83.
Ferrer, J. G., Sanz, M. F., Ferrandis, E. D., McCabe, S., & García, J. S. (2016). Social tourism
and healthy ageing. International Journal of Tourism Research, 18(4), 297-307.
Smith, G. L., Banting, L., Eime, R., O’Sullivan, G., & Van Uffelen, J. G. (2017). The
association between social support and physical activity in older adults: a systematic
review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 56.

7Literature Review on Healthy Ageing
Bourassa, K. J., Memel, M., Woolverton, C., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Social participation
predicts cognitive functioning in aging adults over time: comparisons with physical health,
depression, and physical activity. Aging & mental health, 21(2), 133-146.