How Active Are European Seniors—Their Personal Ways to Active Ageing? Is Seniors’ Activity in Line with the Expectations of the Active Ageing Strategy?

Abstract

The study is directed towards the growing importance of active ageing (AA). Active ageing is a concept proposed in 1990 to recognise not only factors related to health care but also other factors influencing the ageing of individuals and populations. In the following years, as the needs of the ageing societies and the possibilities of meeting these needs increased, Healthy Ageing was defined. Active ageing is one of the areas of care for older people in the Decade for Healthy Ageing. In the study, we referred to the pillars of the AA strategy and the active ageing index (AAI) guidelines. Research on active ageing is gaining momentum in conjunction with pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030 Agenda), especially in social inclusion. The aim of our study was to compare EU countries in terms of seniors’ subjective assessment of AA-related activities and to check whether the similarities and differences in the ratings of seniors from different countries changed in 2020 compared to 2018. As we did not want seniors to participate in a survey directly focused on AA, we chose the European Social Survey database (ESS is a cross-national, representative survey conducted every two years across Europe since 2001), ensuring that the sample was representative. We used questions not directly related to AA. We conducted the analysis by gender and two age groups (65–74 and 75+). In the analysis, we used Kaufman–Rousseeuw normalisation and Ward’s method for clustering. Our analysis resulted in four classifications in each study run. We identified groups of countries where respondents’ assessments are similar. In addition, we identified recurring patterns of behaviour corresponding to AA.

Contributions of the 9-Layered Model of Giftedness to the Development of a Conversational Agent for Healthy Ageing and Sustainable Living

“…The 9-Layered Model of Giftedness is a holistic framework, composed of physiological and psychological components, which are dynamic and reciprocally related. In any case, active and healthy ageing in combination with sustainable living are core elements of personal and professional development in alignment with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 [104].…”

Is seniors' tourism behavior related to sustainable tourism?

“…The technical aspects of sample collection are described in detail in the final report published by the European Commission (2022b). Our analysis concerned the group of seniors defined as people aged 65 and over -this age limit for seniors results from the ongoing discussion in the literature (Alén et al, 2012;Begg et al, 2010;European Commission, 2010, 2019Pesonen et al, 2015;Przybysz et al, 2021;Przybysz & Stanimir, 2022, 2023a and seniors' opinions (Przybysz et al, 2021;Przybysz & Stanimir, 2023a).…”

“…Modern tourism is intertwined with personal growth, learning, and emotional fulfilment (de Andreis & Carioni, 2022). The literature underscores the strong correlation between tourism, quality of life, and life satisfaction (Alén et al, 2012;Chen & Petrick, 2013;Chen et al, 2015;Hrnjić et al, 2016;Karczewski, 2013;Kociszewski, 2016;Liew et al, 2021;Neal et al, 1999;Nimrod & Rotem, 2010;Przybysz & Stanimir, 2023a;Steptoe & Zaninotto, 2020). For seniors, factors such as health and financial status are significant determinants of tourism participation and are closely linked to their standard of living (Hwang & Lee, 2019;Nicolau et al, 2020;Orfin, 2011;Przybysz & Stanimir, 2022, 2023a.…”

“…Considering the SDGs' assumptions, the actions taken under this strategy are expected to affect the ageing society positively. To better understand this connection, it is worth paying attention to two concepts: active and healthy ageing (Przybysz & Stanimir, 2023a;WHO, 2002WHO, , 2015. Healthy ageing (HA) is a strategy that aims to maintain well-being in old age by developing and maintaining functional abilities, meeting basic needs and making decisions, mobility, building and maintaining relationships, and social participation (WHO, 2015(WHO, , 2020.…”

The Well-Being-Related Living Conditions of Elderly People in the European Union—Selected Aspects

“…One important research area is the assessment of active ageing. Research of this type is gaining momentum in connection with the pursuit of sustainable development [23]. In their research, the authors show that when aggregating indicators, all classifications should take into account the specificity of individual countries.…”